Hot Drink

Pleasantly pungent and sweetened to taste with honey, this tea soothes and refreshes after a big meal. (We also like to brew a pot any time we feel a little under the weather.) Nibbling on the pine nuts as you sip the hot tea helps soften its strong flavors.

Cups of this calming grain tea, extolled for its digestive properties, are poured throughout Korean meals as Westerners would provide water. In the winter, the tea is usually served hot, while in the summer months, it comes cool or at room temperature.

Many teas and herbs you savor as beverages can transform your daily beauty routine into a refreshing interlude. Here are three blends made almost entirely from tea, kitchen herbs, and pantry spices. Each blend has a suggested essential oil that will intensify the fragrance.

Don't let a cloudless sky stop you from enjoying a white Christmas. Create your own by whirring hot milk in a blender until it's as light as freshly fallen snow. The creamy froth blankets strong, dark coffee for a special morning brew.

For this spiced coffee with brandy and orange, we ignite the spice- and citrus-infused spirits in the saucepan, add the coffee, and serve the glowing drink in demitasse cups. It’s a less risky—but equally astounding—spectacle.

"Anyone who has spent time in any North African country has stories about mint tea so sweet that the glass sticks to their lips," says Zadi. His version, though a strong tea, is light on the sweetening.

Boiling this strong coffee with eggshells clarifies it by helping the grounds to settle.

You can barely take a step in the markets of Marrakech without tripping over fresh mint, or at least without being offered a glass of hot, sweet mint tea.

The sweetness can be adjusted be adjusted to your liking. This version falls somewhere between orta and sekerli. Depending on the amount of sugar added per cup, Turkish coffee is served in four variations. Sade — without sugar
Az Sekerli— 1/2 sugar cube
Orta— 1 sugar cube
Sekerli— 2 sugar cubes

A drink that can also stand in for dessert.

A rich, aromatic (and potent) version of hot buttered rum.

This drink was featured as a Cocktail of the Month.

Nothing beats great hot chocolate. Use the best chocolate you can get your hands on. We love Valrhona, but Lindt and Ghirardelli are also excellent choices. If giving as a gift, transfer the mix to crocks, jars, canisters, or cellophane bags, decorate with ribbons, and attach gift tags with the serving directions.

Editor's note: This recipe is from Michele Adams's and Gia Russo's book Wedding Showers: Ideas & Recipes for the Perfect Party.

This is our version of chai-shop chai, flavored with a little cardamom and mellowed with hot milk and sugar.

These warm little drinks are delicious — you may want to make a double batch.