When thinking of the winter season in a coastal town, what comes to mind? Blistering wind? Frigid temperatures? Snow-covered beaches? Cold rain? All of the above. There is no better way to relax, warm up, and get a little rosy-cheeked than with a great wintery cocktail. Several of our local establishments have delicious cocktails, spirits, and mixed drinks that will warm you up in no time. Warm your fingers, lips, and stomach with any of these fine mixtures:
The bartenders atDead Freddie’s (64th Street & Coastal Highway, Ocean City) will help you warm up by creating a hot coffee concoction containing over 18% alcohol by volume. The conveniently named, Freddie’s Coffee, is made with the famous whiskey and cream based liqueur known as Bailey’s Irish Cream. The Bailey’s is mixed with hazelnut liqueur, and crème de cacao then topped with whipped cream and warm chocolate syrup. The Freddie’s Coffee is an adult spin on a children’s favorite: hot chocolate – minus the tiny marshmallows.
The Copper Bar at The Globe (12 Broad Street, Berlin) serves up the best Dark & Stormies in the area. Bartender, Hilari Ashton, presents the cold drink in a patina-covered one-of-a-kind copper mug. The Globe uses Gossling’s Bermuda rum poured over ice with Gossling’s Ginger Beer. Don’t let the name fool you, ginger beer isn’t actually real beer; it’s more of a root beer crossed with ginger ale. Back in the ‘ole days, ginger beer (derived from ginger root) was used as a medicinal cure-all. Ginger is known to settle weary stomachs, treat nausea, and cure motion sickness. All the better a reason to drink one. Enjoy a Dark & Stormy on ice garnished with a fresh lime slice.
Liquid Assets (94th Street & Coastal Highway, Ocean City) is known for their huge martini menu. During the chilly winter months, there are two stand-out martinis on their menu of strong cocktails: the Gingerbread Man and the Mashed Apple. The Gingerbread Man martini is a mix of seasonal Hiram Walker Gingerbread, warm Kahlua, and cream. The Mashed Apple, a local’s wintertime favorite, is made with fresh Brandied apple cider. The spiked cider is mixed with Jack Daniels and Licor 43. Licor 43 is a yellow Spanish liqueur comprised of citruses, fruit juices, vanilla, and spices as is the perfect complement to the warm apple cider.
If in the need for a Sunday fun-day, or a bloody Sunday, head to Seacrets (49th Street & Coastal Highway, Ocean City). For years, Seacrets has been setting up a build-your-own-Bloody-Mary on Sundays to help alleviate hangovers from Saturday night’s gone awry. For $3.50, participants can create their own customized version of the world’s most complex cocktail. Mixed in a classic highball glass, Bloody Mary’s consist of vodka, tomato juice, a random assortment of spices, Worcestershire sauce, Tobasco sauce, horseradish, cayenne pepper, salt, and crushed black pepper served with a stick of celery or a few olives. Shaken well, the daring will hardly taste the Smirnoff vodka inside. Have one, or two of these spicy cocktails with brunch and you’ll forget about how cold it is outside instantaneously.
Nantucket’s ( 601 Coastal Highway, Fenwick Island) has a specialty drink for the seafood lover that will warm anyone up with just one sip. The Smokey Martini is a Nantucket’s original and won’t be found at any other bar. The Smokey is a mix of Tanqueray gin, the single-malt Scottish whiskey known as Glenlivet that was steeped for 12 years, and smoked oysters. Smoked oysters in a tasty, smooth martini are prepared fresh with each drink ordered. The seafood and Scotch combination will leave you wanting more – and that’s okay because there are raw oysters on the delightful bar menu.
Just the thought of these spirited concoctions and you’re beginning to heat up already. Get out of the cold, visit any of these establishments, order a seasonal cocktail, and prepare for the winter season. Cheers!
