The Boozy Dark Delight

A good drink is great all year round. But a great drink lives at the forefront of your mind whenever a specific season rolls in. It feels fully at one with the temperature, light, and weather, at one with whatever holidays are lined up on the calendar. There’s nothing better than a winter cocktail. They’re somehow both refreshing and warming. And one of the best winter cocktails comes right at you, hiding behind no pretense: the aptly named Boozy Dark Delight.

If you’re anything like me, you take it personally when the sun starts disappearing before 5pm. I don’t mind the cold, but I’d still prefer to have some natural light shining throughout the frozen landscape. I clock out of work, only to find that the sun has already called it quits for the day. The temperature is dropping. I have to scrape snow off my car before making my way home in a pitch-black rush hour blinded by oncoming headlights. That last part might be more astigmatism than the season, but we’re airing grievances, so let me have this one.

Night Cap

So here we are: a moonlit, frozen world. With the lack of light and heat you would think that things would slow down, but instead a few of the busiest holidays of the year are lurking around the corner. For now, however, let’s forget about all of that. Thanksgiving is a blast. I sit out Black Friday and buy whatever I need online. And even though there are signs of Christmas everywhere, we have a few weeks before we need to start taking it too seriously.

It’s time to relax. It’s time to mix up an easy cocktail, a perfect winter evening cocktail. A cocktail that’s boozy, dark, and delightful.

The Boozy Dark Delight

The average barfly might tell you that the Boozy Dark Delight is nothing more than a Boilermaker. I won’t deny the parallels, but there’s a depth to this cocktail that the average Boilermaker can’t fathom.

Ingredients

• 1oz Scotch Whisky
• 1oz Orange Liqueur
• 6 – 8oz stout or porter
• Orange peel (garnish)
• Shaved chocolate (optional)

Keep it simple and delicious. Grab your favorite rocks glass. Pour in an ounce of whisky and an ounce of orange liqueur; stir until blended. Top off the glass with your favorite dark beer. I use one of my local favorites, Buck Snort Stout. Stir gently, enough to blend but not so much that you froth up all that good carbonation.

The Boozy Dark Delight is a bold drink. If you prefer a slow dilution to keep things cold and make it last a bit longer, feel free to drop in a large ice cube.

Garnishes are optional, but it’s the time of year for excess and comfort. Shave some chocolate into the drink, and finish things off with a nice orange peel.

Cocktail Hour

There’s really no reason that you shouldn’t have 2 or 3 of these. Of all the ways to enjoy a cold evening, the Boozy Dark Delight ranks among the best. The holidays are knocking on your door. Black Friday is eyeing your wallet. The sun is a distant memory. Snow, wind, and cold chill you to your bones. Take an evening for yourself. Stoke the fire, put on your favorite music, and mix up the perfect cold-weather cocktail for a boozy, dark, delightful night.