It’s that time of year when the chill keeps you huddled inside your warm abode, a time when shut-in tendencies become de rigueur. So far, this winter has been rather mild, which means El Niño will probably gobsmack us throughout January and February. Instead of leaving your toasty home, stay in and drink. Here are some warm cocktail recipes from a couple of local bars and restaurants that you can make yourself while avoiding the world outside.
BLIND LEMON'S HOT BUTTERED RUM
Mount Adams’ Blind Lemon is one of the coziest spots in town, with a fireplace, an outdoor fire pit and an overall intimate ambiance. Plus, its menu is filled with several types of winter cocktails. To make your own 100-year-old drink, mix a buttered rum batter by beating brown sugar, butter and spices together. Or, if you’re lazy, just melt the butter and spices in hot water. If cider’s more your thing, you can use hot cider instead of hot water.
Ingredients:
- 1 shot Bacardi dark rum (you could also used spiced rum)
- A “smidge” of butter
- 2 spoonfuls of brown sugar
- About 1 cup hot water
- Dashes of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg
Instructions: Add the butter, spices and sugar into a mug, then the shot of Bacardi. Top with boiling water and stir ingredients together.
NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB'S YACHT TODDY
The Northside Yacht Club has a loose nautical theme, so it's known for its excellent collection of freshly prepared tiki and assorted tropical drinks (get the one that comes in the coconut cup), made with fresh fruit and juices and a sailor-worthy alcohol content. But, since both owners trained with cocktail diva and historian Molly Wellmann, they also excel at classics, including a classic hot weather tonic, the hot toddy. Their Yacht Toddy puts a spin on the original by adding a housemade toddy mix that includes local raw honey, ginger and star anise.“We get our honey from Pic’s Produce, who gets it from a local Cincinnati honey maker, Andrew Kartal,” says Yacht Club co-owner Stuart MacKenzie. “And we get our spices from the Colonel at Findlay Market.”
Ingredients:
For the Yacht Toddy mix
- Local honey
- Hot water
- 2 lemons
- 1 ginger root
- 10 allspice berries
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise
Instructions: To create Yacht Toddy mix, steep equal parts honey and water and stir until the two are mixed together. Add one chopped ginger root and the zest and juice of two lemons. Add 10 allspice berries, two cinnamon sticks (broken) and two star anise. Bring to a slight simmer and let cool. Strain out ingredients and store in a sealed container.
Ingredients:
For the cocktail
- 2 oz. bourbon of your choice
- 2 oz. Yacht Toddy mix
- Hot water
Instructions: Add 2 oz. of bourbon and 2 oz. of Yacht Toddy mix to a mug. Top with hot water.
NUVO AT GREENUP'S COCKTAILS
Covington’s Nuvo at Greenup restaurant now offers lunch Tuesday-Friday and an a la carte dinner menu Tuesday-Saturday, both menus featuring craft cocktails. Chef Mark Bodenstein and co-owner/head bartender Alexis Hardesty share recipes for two warming cocktails on the menu.
Warm Apple Cider
Ingredients:
- One shot bourbon of choice
- Teaspoon rye of choice
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1-2 large ladles of apple cider
Instructions: Place cinnamon stick in coffee cup and add shot of bourbon. Pour apple cider into glass. Float rye on top of apple cider.
Maple Whiskey Latte
Ingredients:
- One shot maple whiskey (Jim Beam, Crown Royal, Knob Creek and Bird Dog make maple whiskeys)
- 1 Nespresso or coffee drink of choice
- If you have a milk foamer, top with that, or you can add warm milk or creamer of choice
- Cinnamon
Instructions: Add shot of maple whiskey to coffee drink, top with warm milk or creamer and a touch of cinnamon. For a quick hack, pour cold milk into a mason jar and heat in the microwave until hot. Put the lid on and shake violently. Now you have milk foam.
OVERLOOK LODGE'S EGGNOG COCKTAIL
Christmas might already be a thing of the past, but eggnog is nice all winter long. Jacob Trevino, bartender/co-owner of Pleasant Ridge’s Overlook Lodge, shares his homemade eggnog recipe, which was served at the bar before Christmas. “I’ve been doing this version of eggnog for years,” Trevino says. “It started with spiced rum and brandy, but as soon as I tasted the Nocino, I knew it would be perfect for the eggnog.”Nocino is a sticky, dark walnut liqueur from Italy, but Columbus’ Watershed Distillery makes a version with Ohio-grown unripe green walnuts.
Ingredients:
For the eggnog
- 2 cups of whole milk
- 2 cups of whipping cream
- 2 eggs (pasteurized raw eggs)
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1 teaspoon each of nutmeg and cinnamon
For the cocktail
- 1.5 oz. Crown Royal
- .5 oz. Watershed Nocino
Instructions: Whisk eggnog ingredients together, then mix cocktail ingredients in a separate glass. Top alcohol with eggnog mix. ©
