As the seasons change and the cool dark evenings draw in, a hot winter drink can warm you up from the inside and is always a sign of a welcoming host to guests.
Honey has long been used to sweeten drinks that have been flavoured with astringent herbs and spices. Cheaper sugar has long supplanted honey as our sweetener of choice, but we do lose some flavour and body from a recipe. Here are some honey sweetened winter warmers to keep you going. Some of these you may have had as a child, they certainly brought back fond memories for me. I used to be a publican in The Lion, Sussex, UK. Around Christmas time we would pre-prepare the mulled wine and serve it cold, the punters would take a red-hot poker from the hearth and plunge into the drink to heat it, caramelising the honey and giving the drink a unique flavour. A real winter treat for the family and friends. These drinks improve with experimentation and finessing to suit your palate. Remember: it is easier to add more honey than try to take it away.
Hot Toddy
Whisky, lemon juice and honey (or just honey and lemon for the kiddies), topped up with hot water. Guaranteed to soothe the symptoms of a cold.
Hot milk
Warm milk with honey is the ultimate winter comfort drink. Elevate it with a drop of vanilla extract and a pinch of cinnamon. For a more of a kick, add a shot of espresso to make a latte; which can then be enhanced with pumpkin spices or salted caramel and whipped cream to impress.
Wassail, mulled cider or wine
A traditional English communal winter drink: mulled cider or wine flavoured with spices and fortified with brandy.
Stud a couple of quartered apples and a halved orange with a dozen cloves; put into a roasting dish with a small cinnamon stick, bay leaf and a 2cm piece of fresh ginger. Roast in a hot oven for 20 minutes or until browned. Put into a saucepan with a litre of cider, three large spoons of honey and generous shots of brandy. Warm (not boil) for up to half an hour. Strain and serve. You could exchange the cider for red or white wine. A reasonable alternative would be to use dried powdered spices, forget about the apples and don’t roast the orange.
Egg Nog
Whisk 4 egg yolks with four dessert spoons of honey until pale and thick. Heat a pint of milk and a pint of cream together until almost boiling; in a steady stream slowly whisk hot milk into the egg yolks – not too quickly or it could overcook the egg. This non-alcoholic version is very good with just a sprinkle of grated nutmeg, although it is usually fortified with brandy. Other popular variations include rum, bourbon or Cointreau.
Chai, spiced tea
Traditional Indian milky tea; flavoured with spices and sweetened with honey. Combine all ingredients into a stainless steel saucepan and simmer for 6-8 minutes; strain and serve.
500ml water; 500ml milk; 4 tea bags standard black tea; 4 whole cloves; 6 whole cardamoms, 2cm ginger; ¼ teaspoon cracked pepper; 50g honey. For extra health-giving benefits, you could add a teaspoon of turmeric.
Ken Brown
President Auckland Beekeepers Club
Apiculture tutor with Land Based Training Ltd.
