Keep Your Body Warm & Immunity Strong with These Drinks for Winter Season - Both Alcoholic & Non-alcoholic (2020)

• We drink enough water in summers because our body tells us when it needs water, but we ignore drinking water in winters. There are times when people get dehydrated in winters and don't even know it. We wear a layer of clothing in winters, which leads to sweating thus dehydration. Dehydration brings in fatigue; therefore, drinking a little warm tea may keep you hydrated and prevent fatigue in winters.


• Tea acts as an antioxidant; it has many antioxidants called polyphenols, promoting better health. You can have hot tea in winters and ice tea in summers to take in antioxidants and flush your system from time to time to stay healthy internally.


• Lastly, hot drinks bring a lot of comfort and make a harsh winter pleasant.

Ingredients

• 1 (750 ml) bottle of dry red wine
• 1 orange, sliced into rounds (also peeled, if you would like a less-bitter drink)
• 8 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise
• 2–4 tablespoons sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste (or your desired sweetener)
• optional add-in: 1/4 cup brandy (or your favorite liqueur)
• Optional garnishes: citrus slices (orange, lemon and/or lime), extra cinnamon sticks, extra star anise

Method

• Put wine, orange slices, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, two tablespoons sweetener, and brandy in a large saucepan and stir well.
• Cook it on medium-high heat, but don't let it bubble.
• Cover and let it simmer for 15 minutes to 3 hours.
• Strain add in extra sweetener if you like.
• Serve it warm.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz. vodka
• ½ oz. honey cardamom simple syrup
• ½ oz. lemon juice
• 1 egg white
• 1-2 drops Angostura bitters
• 1 star anise
• Ice (Optional)

For honey cardamom simple syrup

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup honey
• 4-5 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

Method for honey cardamom simple syrup

• Put in water, honey, and cardamom pods in a pan and heat till mixed well.
• Remove from heat and let it cool.
• Strain and keep in an airtight jar.

Method for the cocktail

• Take a lowball glass and ice (if you want).
• Put in vodka, simple syrup, lemon juice, and egg white in a cocktail shaker and shake for 20 seconds.
• Strain it in the glass and garnish with bitters and star anise, serve.

Ingredients

• 3 cups brewed espresso (or strong coffee)
• 4 cups whole milk
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus more for finishing
• 7 ounces vanilla vodka
• 7 ounces Kahlúa (Kahlúa is a coffee liqueur from Veracruz, Mexico. The drink contains rum, sugar, and 100% Arabica coffee.)
• Whipped cream, for finishing

Method

• Take a large slow cooker and mix espresso, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.
• Set the cooker on low flame and cook for 3 hours.
• Mix vanilla vodka and Kahlua.
• Pour it in mugs and top it with whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup water
• 1 ½ ounces whiskey
• 2 to 3 teaspoons honey, to taste
• 2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice, to taste
• 1 lemon round
• 1 cinnamon stick (optional, for garnish)

Method

• Heat water in a pan and pour it into a mug.
• Add whiskey, two tbs honey, and two tbs lemon juice.
• Garnish it with a lemon round and a cinnamon stick.

Ingredients

• 4 masala chai tea bags (can use vanilla chai or mocha chai tea for variety)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 ounce vodka
• 1 ounce of any liqueur
• Crushed ice
• Freshly ground nutmeg

Method

• Pour boiling water in a large cup over the tea bags and leave them for five minutes before removing them.
• Put it in the fridge for around 30 minutes.
• Put half a cup of chilled tea, vodka, and your favorite liqueur in a martini shaker.
• Add ice and shake well.
• Strain it, garnish with grated nutmeg and serve in martini glasses.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch rhubarb, ends trimmed
• 4 cups (1L) apple juice
• 2 tbs caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 2 whole star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick or quill
• 1 cup (250ml) pink gin
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Method

• Keep one rhubarb stem aside, chop the rest, and put them in a saucepan on medium heat.
• Add apple juice, sugar, and vanilla.
• Cook for 10 minutes, strain, and let it cool.
• Add star anise and cinnamon to the rhubarb mix and cook for 5 minutes on low flame.
• Remove star anise and cinnamon, add raspberries and remove from heat.
• Peel the rhubarb kept aside into thin ribbons and pour boiling water on it but drain immediately.
• Pour the rhubarb mix and ribbons in glasses and serve.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp Kashmiri Green Tea
• 3 cups Water
• 10-12 strands Saffron
• ½ inch stick Cinnamon
• 1 Clove
• 1 Cardamom (Crushed)
• ½ tsp Dried rose petals
• 2 tsp Almonds (Silvered)
• 1 tsp Honey (Optional)

Method

• Heat water in a pan and add saffron, cinnamon, cloves, dried rose petals, and cardamom, simmer it for 5 minutes.
• Switch off the heat and put in green tea; let it sit for a minute.
• Strain it in 2 cups.
• Add in almond slivers and some saffron; you can also add honey.
• Serve hot.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup water, boiling
• 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 2 pinches salt
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 cups half-and-half

Method

• Take the first three ingredients and heat them over medium heat in a pan.
• Add in milk and honey .
• Heat it but do not boil.
• Pour it in a mug and sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg powder on it, serve warm.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Bajra Flour (Pearl Millet)
• 1 tablespoon Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Dry ginger powder, or freshly ground ginger
• 1/4 cup jaggery, crumbled
• 2 teaspoons Ghee
• 1/2 teaspoon Ajwain (Carom seeds), or cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorns, pounded

Method

• Mix bajra, wheat flour, and 3 cups of water in a pan and heat on medium flame. Stir well to avoid lumps in it.
• Add in jaggery, ginger powder and let it boil while stirring it. Let it thicken, which should take around 5 to 8 minutes.
• In another pan, heat ghee and add ajwain, black pepper, and roast it.
• Pour the ghee mixture on the Raab.
• You can add in more jaggery or ginger according to your taste.
• Serve it as a side dish or eat it as it is.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Tomatoes (Chopped)
• 2 tsp Tamarind Paste
• ¼ cup Tuvar Dal (Cooked and mashed)
• 2-3 cloves Garlic (Smashed)
• 10-12 Curry Leaves
• ½ tsp Black Peppercorn (Crushed)
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds (Crushed)
• 1 tbsp Rasam Powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Fresh Coriander (Chopped)

For tempering

• 1 tbsp Ghee
• ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
• ¼ tsp Hing
• 1 Dry Red Chilli (Broken)

Method

• Take a pan and put in chopped tomatoes, tamarind paste, tuvar dal, garlic, and curry leaves in it.
• Put in 2 cups of water and cook for 10 minutes on low flame.
• Add rasam powder, crushed black peppercorns, cumin seeds, and salt, and give it a boil.
• Now add coriander and remove the pan from the stove.
• For tempering, take a pan and heat ghee in it, add mustard seeds, hing, and dry red chillies to it
• Once it crackles, pour it on top of the rasam and serve hot.