A Drinker’s Guide to the Cold
Arctic blasts. Polar vortexes. Whiteout blizzards. Broken furnaces. Whatever you call it, the cold is back. And while you might have armored yourself against the elements with down jackets and faux fur hats with earflaps, navigating your love of the drink in single-digit temps can surface challenges that are unique to the worst part of winter. Here are a few tips to keep you on a sure path through the ice and snow.
Go Hot
Cold weather? Warm drinks. Mulled wine feels just perfect and right when you’re at a ski resorts or sitting fireside. A hot toddy delivers a curative effect that makes it essential for staving off the chill and head colds. And the only potential downside of an Irish coffee is that the caffeine might keep you up. To that, we say double the whiskey. Also consider bourbon tea, buttered rum, a warm rum punch, or any host of special seasonal cocktails your hipster mixologist has warmed over his vintage bunsen burner.
Go Tailgating
Until the NFL changes the schedule, there will always be winter tailgating. Surviving such events should follow the same common-sense guidelines of all cold-weather activities (wear lots of layers and gloves). But if you’re standing in a frozen parking lot for hours, tossing back beer, be sure to keep moving—snowball fights, tossing the football, executing a poor imitation of your favorite touchdown celebratory dance—to keep warm. And outfit yourself with one of many vacuum-sealed containers on the market (like those from Stanley, Thermos, or Hydroflask), which can keep beverages (and food) hot for up to 12 hours.