The colder it gets, the more my attention drifts toward hot beverages: not a want but a need for my icy-cold fingers. Bring on the morning cuppa, the afternoon tea, the nighttime kafi luz. I’m a sucker for anything seasonal, so I’m saying yes to the endless hot cocoa and hot chocolate pop-ups lining the … Read more
Enriched with actual melted chocolate, homemade hot chocolate is worlds away from saccharine store-bought mixes. (For those keeping track at home, the base ingredient is also what differentiates hot chocolate from homemade hot cocoa recipes.) Drinking chocolate is a millennia-old tradition created by the Olmec, who cultivated cacao in what’s now Mexico and Central America. … Read more
There’s something to be said for store-bought hot cocoa mix. It’s fast. It’s convenient. But when you have a reliable homemade hot cocoa recipe you can customize to your tastes, there’s almost no going back. Hot cocoa (not to be confused with hot chocolate) gets its rich chocolate flavor from unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or … Read more
Beloved by bartenders for its pungent flavor and ability to stand up to spirits like whiskey, rum, and tequila, ginger beer is a major player in classic cocktails like the Moscow mule or Dark and Stormy—but the spicy elixir is refreshing enough sipped on its own. The naturally fizzy drink is made via a simple … Read more
Known equally for its alleged nausea-relieving properties as for its ability to turn any spirit into a quick cocktail, ginger ale has a broad fan base. Trouble is, some store-bought brands skip real ginger root (the very ingredient responsible for that stomach-settling sensation) in favor of artificial ginger flavors and sweeteners. The good news? You … Read more