Winter warmers: hot drinks are hot items on both drink and dessert menus

Cheers, Nov-Dec, 2002 by Michael Sherer

With a nip in the air and holiday's on the doorstep, customers often like nothing better than warming their hands and their insides with a hot drink. In the cheerful confines of their favorite establishment, the exotic smell and decadent taste of a winter warmer warms customers' spirits as much as anything else.

The explosion of consumer interest in new flavor, combinations has made hot drinks as exciting as flavored Martinis and other mixed drinks. While gloggs, grogs, nogs and flips may still have their place on a hot drink menu, today's heated libations are more than just warmed-over versions of old favorites.

Bartenders across the country are coming up with new twists and experimenting with variations on traditional themes that have customers warming up to hot drinks. As an alternative to the usual cocktail, a substitute for dessert or a great way to cap off an evening, hot drinks offer customers something out of the ordinary.

WHAT'S HOT

Cocktails usually start with a base spirit combined with mixers or other ingredients. Hot drinks more often start with a base beverage, to which spirits and other ingredients are added. Here's a sample of what's happening in the major categories.

COFFEE

Some operations offer Irish Coffee and Kahlua and coffee and call it a hot drink menu. For customers who have grown up with a Starbucks or some other coffee shop on the nearest corner, specialty coffee drinks have a lot of appeal.

"I think most people are missing the boat if they don't put a coffee drinks program in place," said Brooks Thompson, general manager of J. Paul's Harbor Place in Baltimore, a Capitol Restaurant Concepts operation.

While beverage manager at Paolo's in Georgetown, another Capitol Restaurant Concept, Thompson and his creative head bartender put a number of coffee drinks on the menu. Paolo's Caffe featured coffee with Tia Maria, Chainbord and whipped cream topped with dark chocolate sprinkles. The Grand Espresso was made with a combination of Grand Marnier, Stoli Vanil and Cafe Sport.

Coffee is at least half of Cosi, Inc.'s winning combination. "Coffee and bread are our Krispy Kreme," said Rammy Harwood, director of marketing for the 76-store chain based in New Haven, Conn. "We've taken our coffee to a new level with coffee cocktails."

Cosi's signature coffee cocktail is the Mocha Kiss, a mocha latte made with Grand Marnier, Kahlua and Baileys topped with whipped cream. The chain promises "you'll never forget your first kiss." Among the dozen other coffee cocktails on the menu is a Totally Toasted Almond Mocha, a caramel mocha larte with Kahlua and Arnaretto.

Oliver's in Seattle's Mayflower Hotel offers the standard Irish and Spanish Coffees and gets a lot of calls for Coffee Royale from Canadian guests. The restaurant does even better business, though, with the Nutty Monk, steamed milk with Baileys and Frangelico (a shot of espresso is optional) and B-52 Coffee, in which Kahlua, Baileys and Grand Marnier are added to a hot cup of joe.

The Napa Valley Grille puts a spin on the traditional Irish Coffee, instead selling an Irish Cappuccino made with Jameson and creme de menthe.

TEA

Like specialty coffee, gourmet teas have grown increasingly popular, and not just for afternoon high tea. Napa Valley Grille serves a wide variety of teas from Sausalito, and more customers are asking for a "cuppa" with a dollop of their favorite liqueur.

Oliver's offers Blueberry Tea, made with a combination of Grand Marnier and Amaretto in a choice of teas such as Earl Grey or Orange Pekoe. The restaurant also serves Canton Ginger Tea made with Canton Ginger liqueur.

Chai tea lattes are popular among Cosi's customers. An "hourly partner" in one of the New York units experimented and came up with a combination of Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum and Baileys that nicely complements the spicy chai tea and steamed milk.

HOT CHOCOLATE

Not just for breakfast anymore, or even just for apres ski, hot chocolate is appearing on more drink and dessert menus in different guises. The Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia has even engaged a hot chocolate sommelier to oversee their various spiked and zero-proof hot chocolate concoctions two days a week in The Rotunda.

Amy's Cafe, Madison, Wis., features three hot chocolate concoctions on its hot drinks menu. Hot Cocoa Delight features Kahlua in cocoa topped with whipped cream. Mississippi Mud is cocoa with Jack Daniels and Amaretto added. And the Peppermint Paddy is cocoa with a shot of Dr. McGillicuddy's.

Gramercy Tavern in New York takes its hot chocolate seriously. It's made fresh in-house. Bartenders add chocolate ganache and chestnut puree made in the kitchen to steamed milk and add a touch of ground chipotle pepper. While it's exotic and intoxicating on its own, the bar will spike it on request.

"How many upscale restaurants like ours serve chestnut hot chocolate?" said Nick Mautone, managing partner. "It's a great way to cap a guest's experience."

CIDER AND JUICES

Spiced cider is a perennial favorite when the weather turns nippy. Gramercy Tavern goes through about 12 gallons of hot apple cider a week in cold weather. Often, the restaurant will offer two different versions depending on what ingredients the chef has on hand to add to the simmering cider.