Brad Bowers
I'll Lock Up
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- 4,187
During the long winter months, there are a couple of drinks that I turn to for comfort when the cold winds are howling and the snow is blowing heavy.
One old favorite is the Hot Toddy, which I make with Rye whiskey, freshly-squeezed lemon juice, honey to taste, and boiling water to fill the mug. Great on cold evenings, and also wonderful when your throat is feeling a little sore.
The other is a homemade apricot liqueur, or as I like to call it, Mom’s Magic Elixir. My mother picks up locally-grown dried apricots from her supplier when she’s out in Monterey, CA, every summer, and drops them off to me on her way back home. In early autumn, I take 3 cups of the apricots and place them in an apothecary jar into which almost 2 cups of sugar has been dissolved into a fifth of vodka. Seal it and let it sit for at least 9 weeks. I drain the apricots and decant the liqueur into a bottle, and then immediately put a second batch on, as it usually takes 2 bottles to get through the long winters here.
I’ll keep a flask of the elixir in my pocket when shoveling snow, to keep my throat coated with the syrupy goodness and quell any coughing fits. I also keep a bottle by the bed whenever I’m sick, as it works like magic to keep from coughing all night.
The drained apricots make dandy snacks with a little kick, or they can be used in muffins and breads, or diced onto ice cream.
What other traditional and non-traditional drinks do you folks rely upon for the cold winter months?
One old favorite is the Hot Toddy, which I make with Rye whiskey, freshly-squeezed lemon juice, honey to taste, and boiling water to fill the mug. Great on cold evenings, and also wonderful when your throat is feeling a little sore.
The other is a homemade apricot liqueur, or as I like to call it, Mom’s Magic Elixir. My mother picks up locally-grown dried apricots from her supplier when she’s out in Monterey, CA, every summer, and drops them off to me on her way back home. In early autumn, I take 3 cups of the apricots and place them in an apothecary jar into which almost 2 cups of sugar has been dissolved into a fifth of vodka. Seal it and let it sit for at least 9 weeks. I drain the apricots and decant the liqueur into a bottle, and then immediately put a second batch on, as it usually takes 2 bottles to get through the long winters here.
I’ll keep a flask of the elixir in my pocket when shoveling snow, to keep my throat coated with the syrupy goodness and quell any coughing fits. I also keep a bottle by the bed whenever I’m sick, as it works like magic to keep from coughing all night.
The drained apricots make dandy snacks with a little kick, or they can be used in muffins and breads, or diced onto ice cream.
What other traditional and non-traditional drinks do you folks rely upon for the cold winter months?
