As the temperature dips, we're doing all we can to keep warm. We're wrapping up in chic scarves, bundling in layers, and sipping on this warm-you-up-from-the-inside cocktail.
"Nothing is better than coming into a party on a cold night and being greeted with the inviting scent of a warm cocktail," says famed New York mixologist Jim Meehan, author of The PDT Cocktail Book ($15, amazon.com). His preferred libation for the season: The Midnight Express. "The luxurious flavors of cognac and amaretto are just right for an end-of-the-year gathering," says Meehan.
For the best flavor and easier sipping, keep the brew mildly hot, not scorching.
Makes: 1 cocktail
Ingredients:
½ cup hot, freshly brewed coffee
1½ oz. (1 shot) cognac
1½ teaspoons amaretto
1½ teaspoons simple syrup (dissolve 2 parts sugar in 1 part boiling water, then cool)
1 oz. whipped cream
Pinch of grated nutmegDirections:
1. Pour the coffee, cognac, amaretto, and simple syrup into a toddy glass and stir.
2. Float the cream on top, and finish with a pinch of grated nutmeg.
