Getting Cold Outside: Consider These Ideas For Hot Drinks

Cold weather is uncomfortable for most, especially for people who like being outside with a nice BBQ going. Very few things feel as good as coming in from being out in the cold, preparing a warm beverage, and warming up next to the fireplace or heater. But hot drinks tend to not be as flavorful as we would like them to be. Whether there is a slight chill during the fall or a hard freeze during the winter, here are some ideas for hot drinks which will warm you up while also being flavorful.

Coffee

For what seems like centuries, coffee has been the go-to hot drink for almost any occasion. But no matter how much cream or sugar you put in it, no matter what “flavor” the beans and grounds are, coffee can get boring and bland. Even hot chocolate can wear out its welcome.

For a completely different taste that will take you by surprise, try adding some cashew butter to whatever coffee you are brewing. The cashew butter will enhance almost any original flavor of the coffee you are brewing. Swapping out cream for almond milk can also make coffee more flavorful as the slightly nutty flavor of the almond milk will offset the natural bitterness of coffee. Adding a dash of vanilla extract can also make coffee instantly more flavorful, as it provides a stronger, more natural flavor than most pre-flavored coffees or creamer.

If you roast your own coffee beans, adding a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg to the beans before putting them in the roaster. They add a bit more spice to the coffee, which is really useful during the really cold winter months.

Even latte drinkers have some options. Adding molasses and ground ginger to a latte will create a really good dessert drink that is much more flavorful than the common latte. Adding almond milk will make this already very flavorful drink even more flavorful as well.

Teas

Teas are probably the most healthy of all the hot drinks on this list. But this comes at a price, and that is a glaring lack of flavor. Unless you are ready to dump pounds of sugar into your tea that will ruin any health benefits they grant, prepare for a very boring hot beverage.

Everybody knows about green tea and the host of health benefits it provides. And it is a fantastic thing to drink first thing in the morning or even if you need to relax during the mid afternoon. The problem with green tea is that unless a lot of sugar is added, it can taste bland.

A relatively unknown hot tea is Oolong tea. Oolong tea provides nearly the same benefits as green tea, is much more flavorful because it is slightly fermented, and it has slightly more niacin levels than green tea, which can assist with detoxifying the body as well as weight loss. Oolong tea is a fantastic alternative to green tea that very few know about.

It is even possible to make your own version of feel-good tea. Combine lightly heated pineapple juice, ginger spices, apple cider vinegar, and a dash of maple syrup, mix it and heat it accordingly. This is considered to be a good cold remedy, but it is still a rich and flavorful tea concoction for any occasion.

Tea Lattes

Many think of lattes as a coffee related drink. And while it is in many aspects, it is also possible to make them with your favorite tea as well.

The lemon-lavender tea latte is a great example of this. It can be made from any tea, but most people who make it have a lot of success using it with black, yerba mate and rooibos teas. The lemon and lavender make it much more flavorful than any other tea without taking away from the health benefits.

Coconut cashew matcha latte is another interesting and rare form of tea latte that not many know about. Like the previous tea latte, it is as flavorful as a latte, but still has the health benefits of tea. Making it is easy: Just blend coconut cashews along with matcha tea until a froth develops.

Hot Chocolate

Everybody loves hot chocolate, and it will forever stand the test of time as the best drink that anybody can enjoy. What many don’t understand is that there are ways to improve hot chocolate and make it even more flavorful than it already is.

Adding coconut butter is one way to make hot chocolate even more flavorful. Another way that makes it even better is to use almond butter based cocoa instead of regular cocoa and a dash of cordyceps powder. This will make hot chocolate taste even better and this new creation can be a stress reliever, thanks to the cordyceps powder.

It is a common practice now to add chili and other spices to chocolate. We are seeing this with some chocolate bars that are sold in stores, and hot chocolate isn’t an exception to this either. Enter spiced mexican hot chocolate. To make this, add cinnamon sticks and a splash of bourbon to whole milk, half-and-half, and dark chocolate. This is the perfect hot dessert drink that proves that hot chocolate is not just a hot drink designed for kids. If only pizza would go with these great warm drinks, that would be the icing on the cake!

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