Winter Libations

It’s cold, wet and the weather wizards are predicting a very white winter. How can you stave off what could be a serious case of the winter blues? Indulge in a little liquid holiday spirit.

My favourite is Irish Hot Chocolate which I first had the pleasure of tasting after an intense day of skiing in the crisp, cold air of Mount Washington, just north of Courtenay on Vancouver Island. It’s a simple, yet divine, concoction of Bailey’s and hot chocolate (whip cream optional). When I sipped it the first time, my heart sang, my toes tingled and my body felt like someone had wrapped it in a gentle bear hug.

Sweet drinks not your thing?  Then how ’bout a hearty stout, such as the Imperial Russian Stout, created by Nanaimo’s first micro-brewery the Longwood Brew Pub. It’s a perfectly balanced combination of roasted and black barley, with a hint of chocolate – lunch, dinner and dessert all in one. You can imbibe at the pub, but I prefer taking it home and curling up in front of the fire with a good book or a few friends and a board game.

Then there’s the experience of putting yourself in the centre of the coldest, wettest, stormiest weather right on the edge of the west coast in Tofino. Some love to literally soak it all in, surfing the huge waves or beach-combing through the roaring winds. My spot of choice is either in theGreat Room at the Long Beach Lodge Resort or at On the Rocks Lounge at the Wickaninnish Inn. Both were strategically built beachside and offer the perfect spot to watch the winter weather swirl by outside. The seasonal cocktails are mixed to warm cold finger and toes from the inside out. I love the Wick’s (as the locals call it) Apples & Orange, which features the mouthful-of-a-name liquor: Applewood Double Smoked Buffalo Trace Bourbon.

And of course, I mustn’t forget the Bengal Lounge – tucked into the Empress Hotel in Victoria. I love sinking into the comfy leather chairs, unwrapping all my winter woolens and ordering theOriginal Bengal Tiger – smoky dark rum, apricot brandy and a splash of pineapple juice to give you a hint of tropical warmth.

With a few winter warmers such as these, the season of cold, wet weather suddenly seems a lot more manageable, even something to look forward to. Bottom’s up everyone!