A Warm Winter Toast

The next time you’re feeling cranky about wearing a mask, think about the healthcare workers who have to wear masks, plastic face shields, and heavy protective gear all day long. Mrs. Farmboy decided to concoct a new drink to honor all those in the healthcare profession after a recent visit to Newburyport Family Dental, the dental practice that’s been caring for us for the past 25 years.

As she sat down to begin the checkup, she noticed that her hygienist was somewhat normally attired. “Where’s your Ghostbusters outfit?” she asked. The hygienist explained that she didn’t wear the extra protection while she was taking X-rays, but would put on her “hot and foggy” once the X-rays were completed.

“Hmmm. Now that sounds like a good name for a cocktail,” Mrs. Farmboy mused.

Mulling over the Hot and Foggy

The next morning, she floated some ideas for the ingredients to friends during a chilly walk in the woods with her pod. The drink would have to say “hot,” and it had to say “foggy” (the ingredients, that is – not merely making the consumer feel foggy). You’d want something warm. Eggnog? No, too heavy and sweet. Milk? Yes, hot milk tastes good in the winter – think Irish coffee and hot cocoa. But what teams well with milk? Rum? No, she decided, bourbon would be better, and her walking companions agreed. And it would need something additional for flavor: a little sweetener and spice. Her first thought was nutmeg, but since I was going to be the guinea pig, I prefer vanilla and cinnamon, which are often paired with milk.

When cocktail hour rolled around, it was time to experiment. She heated up the milk with the cinnamon stick. While looking in the spice cabinet for the cinnamon stick, she came across a jar of juniper berries. She tossed in a few of those and brought the mixture not quite to a boil, then took it off the burner and let it steep for about 10 minutes to infuse the milk with the spices. She mixed in the bourbon, honey, and vanilla and reheated it. Voila!

Now how to serve? We have a couple of heat-resistant glass mugs from a mulled cider event a few autumns ago at nearby Colby Farm. Perfect. The nutmeg fan grated a little over the top of her Hot and Foggy, and everyone was happy.

Her first attempt at mixology was bound to be successful, as it included a lot of the right elements. Milk, a slightly acidic emulsion, coats the tongue and allows the aromatic compounds in the bourbon, vanilla, and spices to contact the taste buds longer to carry and extend the flavor. And guess what? Mmmmmmm… Here’s the recipe that we’re pleased to share with you.

Raising a mug in tribute

So let’s raise a mug of the Hot and Foggy as a tribute to our intrepid and selfless healthcare workers, and to all the EMTs, scientists, lab technicians, and everyone else toiling behind the scenes to move us back to health and normalcy. And thanks to Mrs. Farmboy.

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