Sip into Winter

When it comes to winter libations, we all have our favorites. Some are tied to family traditions and familiar tastes, while others are simply synonymous with the season.

A good winter beverage is like a cozy state of mind blended with a small but carefully curated collection of ingredients. Those who are good at making one are a lot like that special person in your family who can start a fire—every time—on the first try. They take pains choosing the kindling, stack it with annoying care and tend to do it with something bordering on unhealthy obsession. And your cold ass loves them for it.

Luckily, Santa Fe is brimming with bartenders, mixologists, baristas and others who take comfort in their winter-drink obsessions. And while it may be nice to whip up a batch of wassail or hot-buttered rum at home, it's even nicer to know these denizens of drink have our backs whenever the domestic well runs dry. But please, don't limit yourself to Irish coffee.

It is a myth that a decent cold-weather booze-up must be served hot. Phooey. If that were true, then a lot of marvelously adorned flasks have been going to waste in movie theaters, ski lodges, December weddings, office Christmas parties and run-down bus stations throughout this great land for a very, very long time.

Some of Santa Fe's most popular wintertime tippling experiences would be nonexistent without a touch of ice along with the fire. Here are some of the city's most memorable examples:

Quinn-tessential
132 W Water St., 983-1615

Coyote Café beverage director Quinn Mark Stephenson places many of his cocktail bets on seasonality, experimenting with the basic elements of nature and tapping his near-bottomless soft spot for showmanship. A perfect example is his eponymous Mighty Quinn, a combination of 140-proof absinthe and yuzu (a Japanese citrus fruit with hints of Mandarin orange, grapefruit and lime) complemented by a distinct evergreen twist. Fresh rosemary is set ablaze, its essential oils released by the heat. The yuzu and absinthe are then poured over it, releasing an aroma that sparks sense memories of Santa Fe's piñón-y surroundings and, to a lesser degree, decorative holiday boughs accented with aromatic fruits. I wouldn't recommend putting out a Christmas tree fire with 140-proof absinthe at home to replicate the experience. Leave it to the experts.

A Kiss Ain't Just a Kiss

113 Washington Ave., 988-3030

Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi head bartender James Reis wants to give you a toasty smooch—in a glass. Reis' Spiced Kiss, a hot cocktail served in a martini glass, quickly takes the chill off any cold-weather outing. Spiced rum mingles with pear brandy and hot cider while a cinnamon stick steeps in its slightly sweet depths, intensifying the flavor of the concoction as it cools and slips way too easily down your frigid gullet. A winter staple on the menu for the past four years, this Kiss should definitely be on your list.

Sake to Me

3451 Hyde Park Road, 428-6390

Every winter in Fushimi-ku, a ward of Japan's Kyoto prefecture, locals and visitors alike gather for one of the largest annual sake festivals in the world. Fushimi itself is a major global epicenter of sake production, taking advantage of lower winter temperatures and the season's clear air for the best brewing and storage conditions after the fall harvest. For the brewers/rice farmers (aka kurabito) and their staffs and families, winter means extra prosperity at a time when the rice fields lie dormant.

No local entity understands this more than the folks at Izanami restaurant at Ten Thousand Waves resort and spa, which sports a staff fully invested in bringing something genuine to the local Japanese dining scene. Sure, you could order some sake off the menu and have it warmed up, but save that experience for the tea (see sidebar), and let these servers guide you.

Try a sake flight: three cold 2-ounce pours of carefully selected sakes that range from bright and almost effervescent to cloudy and thick on the tongue. The hard truth is that most quality sakes are served cold to preserve their flavor and aroma, relying on trial and error to concoct something simultaneously cold on the tongue and warm on the heart that we gaijin (aka 'Murican badasses) don't readily understand. The Japanese have been doing this since 300 BC. Maybe give them, and Izanami, the benefit of the doubt.

When Irish Guys are Smiling

210 Don Gaspar Ave., 983-5700

At Secreto Lounge inside Hotel St. Francis, nationally recognized mixologist Chris Milligan—aka The Santa Fe Barman—usually works with something more akin to an apothecary and garden than a simple hotel bar. It's common to see a sprawling display of chiles, citrus, vegetables, spices and herbs on his working mantle, as well as a few jars of je ne sais quoi. And they're not just for show. The cocktail menu speaks for itself.

This year, besides turning and burning signature hot-buttered rums and coffee drinks, Milligan has developed a shall we say...potent restorative that speaks to his unabashedly proud Irish soul. It's something that seems so simple at the table, but takes weeks to perfect in the glass.

Milligan's Irish Toddy, which springs from his own struggle with an oncoming sore throat, combines hot water and Jameson Irish whiskey with a concoction stored and lightly aged separately in a jar: sliced lemons (skin-on), fresh ginger and local honey. The jar's macerated remnants are blended with the booze and hot water in a tall glass, and finished with a generous lemon twist. Vick's VapoRub can kiss my ass.

If you’re a teetotaler, designated driver or just plain not in the mood for something with a little ethanol kick, there are plenty of great coffee, tea and cocoa options around town. These are pretty high on the list of local favorites, not only because they’re prepared well and efficiently, but also because they’re served with a smile. Don’t tolerate snobby baristas. Ever.

710 Camino Lejo, Museum Hill, 984-8900

905 W Alameda St., Solana Center

1050 E Paseo de Peralta, 982-0388

Santa Fe Reporter