The Fire Within

Most people seeking refreshment on a hot August night pour a cool glass of white wine or twist the cap off a cold beer. Easy. Winter cocktails, however, present more of a challenge. After another late night at the office and another icy chill on the dark walk home, a frosty brew isn’t the answer. You want something that will thaw out your innards and put fire in your belly.

To find out what that might be, we pulled a stool up to the mahogany bar at the country’s most legendary watering hole: ‘21’ in New York City. It’s the glamorous gin joint that flourished during Prohibition and into the golden age of the cocktail. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall had their first date here; Ernest Hemingway dallied with Legs Diamond’s moll in the restaurant’s kitchen. (It’s a miracle he lived to write For Whom the Bell Tolls.) And all these years later, ‘21’ still serves up ample portions of style and elegance.

Across from a crackling fire, veteran mix-master Mirko Blaskovic upholds the ‘21’ tradition of a well-poured drink and an ageless atmosphere of boozy comfort. Blaskovic understands that sometimes it’s too cold even to go to ‘21’ (empathy is the bartender’s stock-in-trade), so he’s shared with us the secret of getting warm and toasty at home.

IRISH COFFEE
This classic winter warmer has warmed the cockles of Irishmen (including former prime minister Bertie Ahern) and Americans alike.

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 lemon wedge
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 ounces Jameson Irish Whiskey
12 ounces fresh-brewed coffee
Serves 2

1. In medium bowl, whip cream until it’s thick but not stiff. Set aside.
2. Rub the lemon along the rims of two wine glasses, so that the juice moistens the rim of each glass. Place sugar in a dish that’s at least as large in circumference as the rims of the glasses. Dip glasses, rim-side down, in sugar, to create a border.
3. Pour half the whiskey into each glass, then add half the coffee. Add 2 tablespoons of whipped cream to the glass by gently lowering the spoon all the way to the bottom of the glass both times. The cream will float back up, creating a layer on top of the coffee that’s like the head on a pint of Guinness.

HOT TODDY
Popular in cold season, this will make you wish for the flu. Traditionally made with either bourbon or rum, but tastes just fine with Seagram’s 7.

1 round lemon slice, about 1/4-inch thick
8 to10 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
4 ounces hot water
2 to 2 1/2 ounces bourbon, brandy, rum, or Seagram’s 7
1 cinnamon stick
Serves 1

1. Press cloves into the pulp of one side of the lemon slice, and place the lemon in a glass (either a highball or a double-old-fashioned).
2. Add sugar and a few tablespoons of the water. Stir until sugar dissolves.
3. Add whiskey, bourbon, brandy, or rum, the remaining water, and the cinnamon stick.  Serve hot.

‘21’ EGGNOG
A traditional eggnog uses raw eggs and cream—by the time you’re done preparing it, you’re too tuckered out to enjoy it. Using ice cream is a no-brainer—the richer, the better, with Häagen-Dazs taking the prize.

1 quart milk
1 quart vanilla ice cream
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
6 cinnamon sticks
4 to 8 ounces rum
Serves 8

1. Let ice cream soften for one hour.
2. In a glass pitcher, add the milk, the softened ice cream, and the nutmeg. Stir well, then add the rum and cinnamon sticks.
3. Stir again and let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving so flavors can meld for that gooey eggnog goodness. Serve cold, garnished with the cinnamon sticks. Add one crackling fire.

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MBA Jungle, Winter 2008-2009