Warm Drinks for Snow Season
<p><strong>LUCIA HERFORD</strong> mixes a Heaven and Hell at Casey’s on Tuesday, Dec. 6, in Whitefish. The Heaven and Hell is made with Rumchata, Fireball whiskey, hot chocolate, whipped cream and topped with cocoa powder. (Brenda Ahearn/This Week in the Flathead)</p>
<p><strong>THE POWDER DAY</strong> is a seasonal drink served through the holidays at Spotted Bear Distillery in downtown Whitefish. It begins with peppermint tea, cocoa powder, their Vodka and sugar, and is topped with whipped cream, a mint leaf and grated organic milk chocolate. (Brenda Ahearn/This Week in the Flathead)</p>
<p>A Hot Pumpkin Martini at the 406 Bar and Grill, made with pumpkin vodka, fresh pumpkin pie puree, cream, nutmeg and served with bits of graham cracker crust. (Brenda Ahearn/This Week in the Flathead)</p>
<p>WHIPPED CREAM finishes a Hunter’s Coffee at Casey’s on Tuesday, Dec. 6, in Whitefish. The Hunter’s Coffee is made with Grand Marnier, Kahlua, coffee and whipped cream. (Brenda Ahearn/This Week in the Flathead)</p>
<p>THE HUCKLEBERRY Hot Chocolate at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake is made with huckleberry vodka, hot chocolate, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and topped with a mint leaf. (Brenda Ahearn/This Week in the Flathead)</p>
<p>The Orangette at Whitefish Handcrafted Spirits is made with their Rum with spices, homemade hot cocoa, orange essence and is topped with whipped cream. (Brenda Ahearn/This Week in the Flathead)</p>
<p><strong>A HOT PUMPKIN</strong> Martini at the 406 Bar and Grill is made with pumpkin vodka, fresh pumpkin pie puree, cream, nutmeg and served with bits of graham cracker crust. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p><strong>BECCA MORENO</strong> mixes up an Orangette at Whitefish Handcrafted Spirits on Tuesday, Dec. 6. The Orangette is made with their Rum with spices, homemade hot cocoa, orange essence and topped with whipped cream. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p><strong>HALEY MORTENSON</strong> mixes a Powder Day at Spotted Bear Distillery on Tuesday, Dec. 6, in Whitefish. The Powder Day begins with peppermint tea, cocoa powder, their Vodka and sugar, and is topped with whipped cream, a mint leaf and grated organic milk chocolate. (Brenda Ahearn/This Week in the Flathead)</p>
<p><strong>A MOONSHINE CIDER</strong> at Whistling Andy’s is made of their Moonshine, hot apple cider and garnished with a lemon wheel and cinnamon stick. (Brenda Ahearn/This Week in the Flathead)</p>
<p><strong>ALL THINGS CHAI</strong> at Whistling Andy’s in Bigfork is made with their Hibiscus Coconut Rum, hot milk, Sparrow’s Nest chai and garnished with a cinnamon stick. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p><strong>ALL THINGS CHAI</strong> at Whistling Andy’s in Bigfork is made with their Hibiscus Coconut Rum, hot milk, Sparrow’s Nest chai and garnished with a cinnamon stick. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p><strong>A MOONSHINE CIDER</strong> at Whistling Andy’s, in Bigfork, is made of their Moonshine, hot apple cider and garnished with a lemon wheel and cinnamon stick. (Brenda Ahearn/This Week in the Flathead)</p>
<p><strong>GABE SPENCER</strong> prepares to make a Moonshine Cider at Whistling Andy’s on Tuesday, Dec. 6, in Bigfork. The drink is made with their Moonshine, hot apple cider and garnished with a lemon wheel and cinnamon stick. (Brenda Ahearn/This Week in the Flathead)</p>
Wednesday’s temperatures sent even the toughest, bravest, ice-fishing-est, polar-bear plunging snow lover shivering back into the house for an extra set of mittens and earmuffs.
Winter has announced her presence rather forcefully in the Flathead Valley but as the ski hills open and snowflakes continue to fall, mixologists and bartenders from Polson to Eureka are concocting elixirs to warm the coldest souls.
Here, we highlight some of the hottest — pun most certainly intended — drinks from the region, with names like Powder Day, Heaven and Hell, and the Orangette. We even have a few tips for you to make your own winter warmer without leaving home.
There are dozens of other cocktails we couldn’t include, of course, and they’re out there waiting to be discovered. So when the slopes are closed and the sun fades away, hit the town to find your own favorite.
Tips from the Pros
We asked the crafters of some of the valley’s winter warmers where the ideas for their warm cocktails come from. Here’s what they said:
Brian Anderson
“A good warm cocktail is like with any cocktail, it’s balance. That’s the big separating factor between something that’s drinkable and something that’s really beautiful.”
Heather Recker
“On a molecular level there’s a lot of reasons why things work. Sometimes we’ll just come up with an idea and say ‘we wonder what this will taste like?’ and if it works we’ll offer it to our customers.”
Lauren Oscilowski
“We try to do a balance of flavors, so in our hot toddy we try to balance citrus with sweet and try to make sure it doesn’t have too much sweetness.”