Mad Men Mondays: A Little Cocoa for Comfort

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Last night’s Mad Men was amazingly depressing. Not only did it bring back memories, for me, of how I reacted to 9/11, it was just plain sad. And could someone please explain to me why, despite the fact that he is a jerk and, at most, an anti-hero, I still want everything to turn out all right for Don Draper?

What did they have to drink last night? Well, there was “red wine,” which isn’t helpful. There was a return to champagne coupes for the wedding toast. There were nameless mixed drinks, made by a cast that is extremely skillful at hiding the bottle label from me.

But I’m settling on the hot cocoa, because it’s comforting. In the beginning of the episode, Pete’s assistant wakes him up and offers him a hot cocoa. It’s instant, made with water and not milk, but the thought is nice.

Personally, I’m not a coffee drinker (unless it’s an Irish Coffee). All year long I live on hot tea and/or chai, usually with milk for that latte kick. Around this time of year, I start breaking out the hot chocolate. Now, I agree with Pete – the best hot chocolate is made with milk. I even have a Hot Chocolate Maker that perfectly mixes and heats the milk and cocoa powder (it also works with Oregon Chai and milk).

But in the evenings, sometimes I want to add a kick. I thought I’d list my three favorite additives for hot cocoa. I’d love to hear yours in the comments;

Bailey’s Irish Cream: Baileys is this great winter mixer for me. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s an Irish whiskey and cream liqueur. It seems to go well with just about everything and a shot of this in hot chocolate can be just perfect.
Amarula: I’ve written about amarula before, and it remains one of my favorite liqueurs. This South African liqueur is a blend of cream and fruit from the Marula tree. I love to drink it over ice in the summer. However, it adds just a hint of fruit and caramel when added to hot chocolate.
Peppermint Schnapps: This is an old standby I first started drinking in college. Around the holidays, it’s like sticking a slightly alcoholic candy cane in your cup of chocolate, and it works beautifully.

What are your favorite mixers in warm drinks? You can’t go wrong with bourbon and honey in hot tea or Irish Whiskey and cream in coffee. Any other ideas?