Hi everyone, I’m Kevin Kos. Today on “Let’s Mix to That”
we’re keeping ourselves warm with hot cocktails.
An ice cold Martini or a Mint Julep full of crushed ice just don't hit the same
when it’s snowing outside your window. So let’s mix something to warm not just
your heart, but your whole body. An Irish Coffee to keep you warm
and perky through the day, a Hot Toddy to keep the illnesses away and a boozy hot chocolate,
as a little treat at the end the day. But before we start, this is the season of
giving - so give this video a like, subscribe to the channel and hit the jingle bell icon,
That way Santa will know you belong on the nice list. Let’s mix to that!
Let’s start the day with Coffee. Irish Coffee.
But first thing’s first - just like you want chilled glasses for iced cocktails to stay cold
for longer, you’ll want to heat up the glasses for our hot cocktails with hot water. Dump that out
before you start pouring the cocktail of course. To make Irish Coffee, you’ll need Irish Whiskey;
a fresh brew of your favorite coffee - I suggest using pour over; sugar syrup for some sweetness;
heavy cream, which we’ll layer on top after whipping it lightly with a milk frother, and we’ll
finish everything with freshly grated nutmeg. If you don’t have a milk frother you can add cream
into a chilled shaker, give it a shake to whip lightly, then gently pour it onto the cocktail.
Let’s mix. Irish Coffee was
created at an Irish flying boat terminal when a plane had to turn back due to bad weather on a
winter night just like tonight. Head chef Joe Sheridan was working at the terminal
restaurant and felt empathy for the cold and weary passengers so he made them all coffee,
added some Irish whiskey and topped it with cream. The name was born when an American passenger
asked: "Hey Buddy, is this Brazilian coffee?" And the chef said, "No, that's an Irish Coffee."
The only thing that beats Irish humor is Irish Coffee.
It’s rich, creamy and warm in more ways than one. Cheers.
On to the cocktail number 2:
Hot Toddy.
A perfect remedy when you’re feeling a little under the weather.
Again we’ll need a warm glass, into which we’ll mix scotch whisky, lemon juice, honey syrup
and hot water. We’ll garnish it with a lemon peel and cloves.
You can add more flavor by replacing water with a tea of your choice.
Hot Toddy has long been prescribed to treat common winter illnesses. As one author wrote: “vitamin C
for health, honey to soothe, and alcohol to numb." As I mentioned before, you can
treat the Hot Toddy as a template you can experiment with - use any spirit you have
at hand, a sweetener you like, add in herbs or spices. Make it so you enjoy it the most.
And yes, modern medicine might have more effective ways to treat a symptom here or there.
Nothing beats the warmth and comfort of the first sip of a well made Hot Toddy.
It’s like delicious cough syrup for adults. Cheers.
Lastly, for that perfect treat in the evening, a Boozy Hot Chocolate.
You’ll need baking chocolate, milk, sugar, cocoa powder, a pinch of salt and cornstarch, to make it
thick and rich. I’ll booze it up with absinthe... but rum, whisky or basically any
other spirit can be used. You’ll start by dissolving
cornstarch in a splash of milk. Then add chocolate and a little bit of milk to a saucepan and mix it
over medium heat until chocolate melts and dissolves. Add sugar, cocoa and salt.
Salt will enhance the chocolate notes, so don’t skip it. While constantly whisking slowly pour in
the rest of the milk, followed by the dissolved cornstarch. Once it thickens - That’s your hot
chocolate done, now it’s time to make it boozy by adding the spirit of choice. As mentioned,
I’m going with absinthe. Luscious hot chocolate, that’s boozy and perfectly sweet.
And hot chocolate wouldn't be complete without some marshmellows. A single
mint leaf will go with the herbal spirit and of course the chocolate.
A treat and a perfect nightcap. Cheers! I can’t decide which one’s my favorite.
Or did I leave out your favorite hot cocktail? Let me know in the comments below,
and don’t forget to like and subscribe so you don’t miss our future episodes.
In the meantime, get cozy and check out our other videos. Cheers.