What to drink this winter

Jonathan Ray gives advice on some warming winter drinks and a must-have recipe for bullshot.

I don’t know about you, but I reckon as the days shorten and nights lengthen, more than a pair of long johns is required to keep out the cold and damp. You need warming liquid refreshment with oodles of oomph – and I’m not talking caffeine. (Scroll down for a classic recipe for bullshot – an ever-popular winter warmer). (You might like to read The Field’s guide to hip flasks.)

Keeping the cold out

I can think of no finer warders-off of cold and damp than Berry Bros & Rudd’s fabled King’s Ginger Liqueur (KGL) or Mentzendorff’s mighty kümmel, both of which have the added advantage of being supreme stomach settlers.

KGL was created for King Edward VII on the instructions of his doctor, who prescribed it for His Majesty to imbibe during morning rides in his new horseless carriage. A few years ago Berrys relaunched and repackaged it and it remains as scrumptious as ever – sweet, spicy and gingery in the mouth, with a clean, dry finish. Some aficionados like it served neat at room temperature while others prefer it straight from the freezer or even on the rocks. At 41% volume, it packs something of a punch and is also perfectly suited to supping from a flask at point-to-points but it’s never better than when sloshed over a bowl of homemade vanilla ice-cream.

And as for kümmel, is anything else as revitalising? Sometimes known as “putting mixture” – thanks to its popularity in British golf clubs – it has been a staple of the Dutch, Danish and Latvians since the 16th century. And let’s face it, they know about the cold and damp.

And where would you be during the winter without a restorative and invigorating Bloody Mary (BM) or Bullshot? The key to the perfect BM is to add fresh orange juice and a decent slug of amontillado sherry to the regular mix of vodka (which should be decent but not overpowering), tomato juice, lemon juice, Lea & Perrins, tabasco, ground pepper and celery salt. To give it a bit of a twist, turn it into a Bloody Maria by swapping the vodka for tequila. Here, I recommend Don Julio or José Cuervo Blanco.

And to finish off on warming thoughts, here’s a classic recipe for Bullshot.

Recipe for bullshot

Whilst this recipe uses game or venison stock, you could also use chicken. (Find our recipe for pheasant stock here here.)

Ingredients:

• 500ml venison or game stock
• 300ml tomato passata
• 160ml vodka (or whisky)
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1tsp horseradish sauce
• 1tsp red wine vinegar
• A few drops of Tabasco
• A good dash of Worcester sauce
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat the venison or game stock and tomato passata in a saucepan.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and warm gently.
3. Adjust the seasonings to your taste.

This article was originally published in 2009 and has been updated.