Beverages

Pina Coladas

1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled, cut into 1½-inch pieces
6 ounces sweetened cream of coconut (preferably Coco López)
2 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
8 ounces white rum
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 ounces dark rum (optional)
Maraschino cherries and lime wedges (for serving)

Place pineapple pieces in a resealable plastic bag, laying them flat. Freeze until solid, at least 3 hours.

Shake cream of coconut and coconut milk in their cans before measuring. Purée pineapple, cream of coconut, coconut milk, white rum, lime juice, and 3 cups ice (about 15 oz.) in a blender until smooth. Transfer blender cup to freezer and freeze until mixture is thickened (it should be the consistency of a milkshake), 25–35 minutes.

Blend again until mixture is the perfect slushy frozen drink consistency. Divide among glasses. Top off each with ½ oz. dark rum, if using, and garnish each with a cherry and lime wedge.

Do Ahead: Pineapple can be chopped 3 months ahead. Keep frozen.

From Bon Appetit

Margaritas

Kosher salt (for serving)
1/2 thick lime wheel (for serving)
2 oz. tequila blanco
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
3/4 oz. simple syrup

Place some salt on a small plate. Rub rim of an old-fashioned or rocks glass with lime (reserve for serving); dip in salt. Fill with ice and set aside.

Combine tequila, lime juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice, cover, and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds.

Strain cocktail through a Hawthorne strainer or a slotted spoon into reserved glass. Garnish with lime wheel.

From Bon Appetit

Classic French Toast

6 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
6 3/4 inch-thick slices challah, brioche, or Pullman loaf
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Pure maple syrup, jam, or powdered sugar (for serving)

Preheat oven to 250°. Lightly beat eggs, cream, milk, sugar, and salt in a large shallow baking dish (a lasagna pan is perfect). Add bread, turn to coat, then press down gently on bread until you feel it start to soak up custard mixture—this is key for a luscious, not dry, texture. Let soak, 10 minutes.

Flip bread and soak on second side, pressing down gently from time to time, until bread is saturated but not soggy, another 10 minutes or so.

Heat 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When foaming subsides, carefully lift 3 slices of bread from custard, letting excess drip back into dish, and cook in skillet until golden brown and center of toast springs back when pressed, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer toast to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in oven while you cook remaining slices of bread with 1 Tbsp. butter and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil.

Serve French toast with butter, maple syrup, jam, and/or powdered sugar.

From Bon Appetit.

Turmeric Tea

1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon dried turmeric (or a 1/2-inch piece fresh turmeric, peeled and grated)
1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
1 cardamom pod
1 cinnamon stick
3 black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 cup milk (or nut milk)
1 black tea bag

In a small pan over low heat, add the water, turmeric, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorns and honey. Bring to a simmer, then pour in milk, and add the tea bag. When milk is steaming, use a spoon to taste, and add more honey if you like. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer right into a cup, and drink while hot.

Turmeric-Coconut Milk Elixer

1/2 a turmeric root, grated and chopped
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon dried cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1 cup coconut milk

Add one cup of coconut milk to a pouring pan.

Peel and then grate one small turmeric root, before chopping slightly and adding to the pan.

Grate a little nutmeg, and then add it to the pan together with the cinnamon and cardamom.

Keep on a low heat stirring regularly for around five minutes until slightly steaming. Do not boil as the milk will burn.

Check for taste and add more spice as required.

Once ready, use a wooden spoon to strain the turmeric from the liquid as you transfer into a cup. For extra comfort, warm the cup with hot water before pouring the liquid from the pan. Makes one serving.

Bulletproof Coffee

2 1/2 heaping tablespoons ground Bulletproof Coffee Beans
1 teaspoon – 2 tablespoons Brain Octane Oil
1-2 tablespoons grass-fed, unsalted butter or grass-fed ghee.
Directions:

Make your coffee. Brew 1 cup (8-12 ounces) of coffee using filtered water with 2 1/2 heaping tablespoons of freshly ground Bulletproof Coffee Beans. Use a French Press for ease of use and to preserve beneficial coffee oils that paper filters keep out.

Add Brain Octane Oil. Add 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons of Brain Octane Oil (start slow with this stuff – it’s powerful!)

Add grass-fed butter or ghee. Add 1-2 tablespoons of grass-fed, unsalted butter or grass-fed ghee. Make sure your butter is unsalted. Salty coffee is gross.

Blend. Mix it all in a blender for 20-30 seconds until it looks like a creamy latte. There will be a good amount of foam on top.

Hot Mulled Cider

1 gallon apple cider
3/4 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
1/4 cup honey 2 quince—peeled, cored and finely chopped
One 4-inch rosemary sprig
Two 3- to 4-inch cinnamon sticks, broken
4 cloves
1 star anise
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Combine the cider, wine, honey, quince, rosemary, cinnamon, cloves, star anise and lemon zest in a large saucepan and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Strain the mulled cider and discard the solids. Serve the mulled cider warm.

Painkillers

For one, follow the 1-2-3-4 model:
1 part lime juice (sour)
2 parts cream of coconut (sweet)
3 parts Cruzan Rum (strong)
4 parts pineapple juice, perhaps diluted with some water (weak)

For a batch:
1 empty gallon jug
Either 2 cups Cruzan dark rum or 1 cup dark rum and 2 cups vanilla rum (for the Nilla Killa)
1 15oz can of Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut
32 oz of Orange Juice
32 oz of Pineapple Juice
32 oz of Mango Juice
fresh grated nutmeg

Put tge rum and Coco Lopez in first, then fill up the jug with the juices.

You can also leave the rum out and let people mix their own.

1-2-3-4 Punch

One of Sour
Two of Sweet
Three of Strong
Four of Weak

For example:

1 part lime juice
2 parts simple syrup or grenadine (or better yet, Campari)
3 parts rum
4 parts juice (orange, pineapple, etc.)
freshly grated nutmeg
a dash or two of bitters

A variation: Maho Bay Rum Punch

1 part lime juice (sour)
2 parts cream of coconut (sweet)
3 parts Cruzan Rum (strong)
4 parts pineapple juice, perhaps diluted with some water (weak)

Cold-Brewed Coffee

1/2cup ground coffee (medium-coarse grind is best)
Milk (optional)

In a jar, stir together coffee and 1 1/2 cups cold water. Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight or 12 hours.

Strain twice through a coffee filter, a fine-mesh sieve or a sieve lined with cheesecloth. In a tall glass filled with ice, mix equal parts coffee concentrate and water, or to taste. If desired, add milk.

Avocado Lassi

2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup plain or Greek-style yogurt
1 cup whole milk
2-3 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
4 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and crushed
1 tablespoon rosewater or gingery syrup (optional)

Slice the avocado in half, lengthwise. Remove the pit, peel and roughly chop.

Add the yogurt, milk, sugar, crushed cardamom seeds, and rosewater to the blender and process to a creamy consistency. Taste and sweeten more, if required.

This lassi can be made ahead and kept refrigerated. Serve chilled.

Recipe Notes
You can replace the yogurt and milk with soy or almond milk for a dairy free and vegan version.You may have to rub the avocados with a little lime juice, if making this version.

Honey can be used in place of sugar.

The rosewater adds a delicate floral note to the lassi (highly recommended)

Alternatively, ginger syrup is a delicious, spicy addition. (you can use syrup from jars of preserved ginger.

Dark Hot Cocoa

3 ounces dark chocolate (70% or higher), chopped
1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup whole milk
Pinch salt

Place the dark chocolate and cocoa powder in a heat safe bowl or liquid measuring cup. Bring the sweetened condensed milk and milk to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Pour the hot milk mixture over the dark chocolate and let sit for 15 seconds. Whisk the mixture until the chocolate is fully melted and the cocoa is smooth (if you whisk vigorously, the mixture will get frothy—if you mix slowly, it will stay smoother). Season with salt and cayenne, if using. Pour into a mug and drink warm.

White Chocolate Hot Cocoa

3 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Fresh grated nutmeg, to taste (optional) Place the white chocolate in a heat safe bowl or liquid measuring cup. Bring the milk, cream, and nutmeg if using, to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Pour the hot milk over the white chocolate and let sit for 15 seconds. Whisk the mixture until the chocolate is fully melted and the cocoa is smooth (if you whisk vigorously, the mixture will get frothy and if you mix slowly, it will stay smoother). Pour into a mug and drink warm.

Turmeric Tea

1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon dried turmeric (or a 1/2-inch piece fresh turmeric, peeled and grated)
1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
1 cardamom pod
1 cinnamon stick
3 black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 cup milk (or nut milk)
1 black tea bag

In a small pan over low heat, add the water, turmeric, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorns and honey. Bring to a simmer, then pour in milk, and add the tea bag. When milk is steaming, use a spoon to taste, and add more honey if you like. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer right into a cup, and drink while hot.

Apple Peel Tea

Peels and cores of 5 apples
4 cups water
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick

Place the apple peels and cores, water, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a full boil, then reduce to a simmer/low boil and add the cloves. Let simmer for one hour.

After one hour, turn off the heat, add the cinnamon stick, and let sit for 45 minutes to an hour. You can also taste for sweetness when you add the cinnamon stick, adding more brown sugar if you like a sweeter tea.

Pour the tea through a fine strainer, and discard the strained apple mush. The liquid can be stored in a container in the fridge (I generally use a mason jar), and leftovers can be drunk cold, or reheated on the stove or in a microwave.

Glogg

2 bottles of dry red wine
2nbottles of ruby port
Zest of one whole navel orange, peeled with a vegetable peeler
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup blanched, sliced almonds
5 cinnamon sticks
12 whole cloves
12 cardamom pods, cracked (use the flat end of a knife)
12 black peppercorns
1 to 2 star anise
One 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch coins
2 cups brandy, divided, plus more to taste
1 to 2 cups sugar

In a nonreactive pan, heat the wine, port, zest, raisins, nuts, spices, and ginger over medium-low heat until simmering, then lower the heat and cover. In another nonreactive pan, heat 1 cup of the sugar and 1 cup of the brandy. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then simmer over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens, about 20 minutes. Combine the syrup with the mulled wine and add another cup of brandy. Allow to simmer for an hour, then taste for sugar and brandy adding more of either if necessary. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then strain and bottle — or enjoy immediately!

Grilled Lemonade

16 lemons, halved
1 cup sugar, plus more add needed
5 cups water, divided
1/2 cup honey
2 sprigs rosemary
Ice

Type of fire: Direct
Grill heat: high

Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Place sugar in a medium-sized disposable aluminum pan. Dip each of the lemons, cut side down, into sugar. Place lemons on grill, cut side down, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from grill.

Add 2 cups of water, honey, and rosemary to pan with sugar. Place pan on grill and whisk until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from grill and discard rosemary sprigs.

Squeeze lemons into a large large bowl. Pour in honey and sugar syrup and 3 additional cups of cold water and stir to combine. Add additional water or sugar to taste. Transfer to large pitcher, pouring through a fine mesh strainer for a smoother lemonade, if desired. Add in ice to cool, then serve.