Taste DRINK
BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ
WARMING WONDERS Toasty cocktails to warm the body and soul this winter
The nights are longer and chillier this time of year. That means it’s time to turn up the heat, even when it comes to happy hour. Here are some sensational hot cocktails to warm the body, soul and tastebuds this winter.
Peppermint Party Hot Chocolate JoJo’s ShakeBAR Enjoy the rich decadence of classic hot chocolate paired with gooey toasted marshmallow fluff and guest’s choice of Jameson Whiskey or Bailey’s Irish Cream. Bonus: It is grandly garnished with a chocolate-covered peppermint pretzel, peppermint-infused s’mores, and a homemade peppermint snowflake marshmallow. $16. www.jojosshakebar.com. Coffee Old Fashion The Stir Coffee Bar Freshly brewed espresso and Templeton Maple Finished Rye Cask Series 1, a whiskey finished in maple syrup barrels in collaboration with the famed Wood’s Vermont Syrup Company, come together in perfect hot harmony here, getting an extra kick of flavor from chocolate bitters and demerara syrup. $9. www.thestircoffeebar.com. Captain David’s Winter Wine Hula’s Captain’s Cabin Heard of Gluhwein? It is a German mulled wine, and the inspiration for Hula’s seasonal hot offering. It starts with pinot noir and Disaronno Originale, which is an amaretto with beautiful notes of almond. The base spirits are combined on low heat with oranges, cloves, anise, cinnamon, and demerara sugar for several hours until there is a perfect layer of flavors. $16. www.hulasmoderntiki. com/captainscabin. Salted Caramel Hash Kitchen Prepare for a coffee cocktail with some punch! Here, regular or decaffeinated coffee is combined with vanilla vodka and caramel. Then, additional coffee is whipped until frothy and added on top, getting a garnishment of sea salt and caramel drizzle for good measure. $14. www.hashkitchen.com.
116 So Scottsdale! January ‘24
“A” Mountain Merlot Skysill Rooftop Lounge This sweet wine concoction is a nod to the iconic Valley landmark, “A” Mountain. Blending MurphyGoode Merlot, brandy, a five-spice blend, star anise, turmeric root, clove, cardamom, and cinnamon, and finished with a dash of brown sugar, it warms via its temperature as well as from all of the beautiful winter spices in each sip. $15. www.skysillrooftop.com. Lon’s Irish Coffee Lon’s Last Drop at The Hermosa Inn Sticking to tradition with this classic fireside sipper, the Lon’s Irish Coffee stars Limavady Irish Whisky, which is made with 100% malted Irish barley and beloved for its notes of dried fruit, spice, and toasted vanilla. The whisky is paired with coffee and topped with a generous portion of homemade whiskey-vanilla whipped cream. $16. www.hermosainn.com. Café En Fuego La Hacienda at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Made tableside and set on fire before serving, this bold beauty starts with the guest’s choice of tequila. Next, the guest chooses Bailey’s Irish Cream, Frangelico, and/ or 1921 Tequila Blanco, a cream liqueur with notes of cinnamon and vanilla. It is finished with coffee, cinnamon, sugar, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings. Starting at $16. www.scottsdaleprincess.com. Passionfruit Caramel Latte Provision The local coffee roaster offers a bevy of hot cocktails, with this among its most impressive. It features freshly brewed espresso and scratch-made caramel syrup infused with both passionfruit and bourbon. It is finished with creamy steamed milk and an orange twist. $8. www.provisioncoffee.com.