ABC Kitchen's Berkshire cider

This year’s official first day of winter is December 22nd but with this weekend’s lows in the 30s and get this— a chance of snow (Yea, I know, snow in October. WTF, right?) it looks like winter is showing up early. And while my closet is stocked full of puffy down jackets, wool coats, sweaters out the wazoo and scarves of every color in the rainbow and then some, one of my preferred ways of keeping warm is the ol’ liquid jacket. You know, booze.

Yes, most any form of alcoholic beverage—be it beer, wine or liquor— will do the trick, but my favorites are the seasonal kind. Earlier this week, for example, during lunch at the always delicious ABC Kitchen, I had the gut-warming, soul-soothing, Berkshire cider martini. Made with berkshire bourbon and spiced apple cider, it was smoky and deep, the kind of drink that literally makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Hot buttered rum

Also this last week, but this time at home and made by yours truly, was the holiday-style-gluttonous hot buttered rum. Ingredients: hot buttered rum mix (basically a blend of  cinammon, nutmeg, and the like), rum, and you guessed it, butter. I mean, really, don’t you feel cozy just thinking about it? Cause I do. With no garnish or much thought put into presentation, it wasn’t particularly attractive (nor did my camera do much to help the cause), but it was spicy and smooth, and made me wish I had a fireplace to sit in front of while enjoying it.

Winter might be here early but me and my liquid jacket will be just fine.