Friend, I don't know about you, but I'm having a hell of a time getting to sleep lately. And once I get there, I'm having a hard time staying that way. So it seemed like a good time to explore one of liquor's traditional medicinal uses, as a sleep aid. I've always pooh-poohed the idea, since hangover rest is so terrible. But, I reasoned, while untwisting the blankets for the 14th time last week, taking a dose of NyQuil is pretty much like taking a shot, and that'll knock you right out. But I didn't want a boring hot toddy or shot of rum in my SleepyTime, so I thought about warm, soothing beverages that I've tried in the past to boost drowsiness. There's the cold-and-flu classic, hot lemon and honey; newly trendy golden milk, aka turmeric tea; and hell, why not hot chocolate? Here are three drinks that ought to take you down. See you in Nod.
Mezcal milk:
2 cups hemp milk
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon
1-inch piece of ginger, sliced
raw honey to taste
2 ounces mezcal
Combine milk, spices and honey in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir mixture until heated through, but don't cook it. Fish out the ginger slices, pour into a mug, add mezcal and stir well.
Hot chocky:
4 ounces whole milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons agave
pinch of sea salt
pinch of cinnamon
2 ounces blackstrap rum
Combine milk, cocoa and seasonings in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir mixture vigourously and heat through, but don't let the milk boil. Pour into a mug, add blackstrap rum and stir.
rye maple:
4 ounces hot water
juice of half a lemon
2-inch piece of ginger, sliced
2 tablespoons maple syrup
pinch of ground cardamom
2 ounces rye
Combine water, lemon, ginger, cardamom and maple syrup in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir mixture until steaming but not boiling. Fish out the ginger slices, pour into a mug, add rye and stir.
