This week, the cold weather finally got to me and I caught a cold. While I was looking forward to making some normal cocktails again, I had to postpone these plans, drink a whole lot of tea and rest. But that doesn't mean I didn't have the time to come up with a delicious drink to share with you.
Defeating the common cold is quite difficult and most of the time all you can do is fight the symptoms as well as you can. This usually means drinking lots of fluids and eating healthy stuff like fruit. There are some things, like Vitamin C, that help you with getting better (while Vitamin C can't prevent a cold it has "a tendency [...] to reduce the severity and duration of colds"), so I decided to mix them together and brew up some kind of cold remedy.
It's Good For You
I wanted to get well soon and turned to the art of mixology for help. My plan was to throw together some seemingly healthy ingredients and mix in some tasty booze. A cocktail that would let me rest well and ease the pain. And while I wouldn't recommend drinking alcohol while being ill, it was used throughout history to heal all kinds of sufferings. So it can't be that bad, right?
The first ingredient that had to be in my cold remedy is lemon juice. Full of Vitamin C and useful against a bunch of ailments, it just had to be part of my cocktail. Next I wanted to add some oranges since they are healthy too. But orange juice in itself is quite delicate so I decided to utilize my Orange and Ginger Syrup instead. It sweetens the cocktail and brings a healthy dose of orange into this concoction.
Set on the non-alcoholic flavors, I had to decide what liquor would serve as a good base for my ingredients. After some thinking, I arrived at the point where I had to choose between rum and bourbon. Both have a wonderfully warm aroma that pairs well with citrus. I flipped a coin and bourbon was the winner. To add another dimension I wanted something else in my cocktail that would provide interesting flavors while fitting the theme of being healthy. Choosing an herbal liqueur was a no-brainer, but with so many to choose from I went with the one that I hadn't used in quite some time: Bénédictine D.O.M.
To bring all the ingredients together and provide a warming experience I decided to top everything off with hot black tea. The great thing about black tea is that you can decide if you want something that lifts you up or puts you to sleep by steeping it for the appropriate amount of time. After a few delicious tries I arrived at the following recipe.
Pour the bourbon, Bénédictine, lemon juice and syrup into a heat proof glass or mug. Top up with tea and stir until everything has dissolved. Add a thin slice of fresh ginger.
Despite containing so many ingredients, each one is noticeable when you drink this cocktail. The bourbon provides a mellow foundation for the Bénédictine to build on. After tasting that smooth bourbon you notice the orange, ginger and lemon. They provide some sweetness and keep the alcohol from getting too prevalent. The fresh piece of ginger adds a nice spiciness and provides a tasty treat if you wish so. Finally, the strong black tea brings everything together. I recommend Earl Grey or an East Friesian Tea.
Despite being designed to be "healthy", this cocktail is quite tasty and one might be inclined to have more than one. I can't guarantee it will help you with fighting a cold, but I'm sure you will feel better after drinking one or two. Even if you don't have a cold, it is a great drink to keep warm in this frosty weather.
Getting Well Soon
I'm feeling much better now and when next week comes around I should be fully recovered. Even though this cold forced me to adjust my plans for this week's post, I'm quite glad with the result. It's fun to challenge yourself and create a cocktail that fits into some kind of theme. Also I got to use my home-made syrup again and could deliver on the promise to post more recipes for them.
I guarantee that there won't be a hot cocktail next week. When I'm finally healthy I want to have an Old Fashioned again, so I have to see how I can make this into a topic for next week. If you want to keep updated then follow me on Twitter or subscribe. To stay warm in this cold weather I recommend having the above cocktail or dressing accordingly. Probably both. It can't hurt.
Title image via pixabay.