Coffee and alcohol - two of life's most pleasurable vices.
Electric on their own, but combined? Then you have a perfect marriage of
hairy-chested caffeine and sweet, sassy booze. The Irish, of course, created a
liquid pot of gold in inventing what's perhaps the most popular of hot
coffee-based cocktails, and bless their potato-shaped hearts for it.
As the next few months will be enveloped in frost, wind, and
tax-return filings, you'll want something to warm you in body and in spirit. We
here at STUFF like to take the edge off, in more ways
than one, by spiking our disposable cups of morning java with whatever we've
got sitting around the office. You know, for research purposes. Don't tell the
boss.
You, though, deserve a more dignified and HR-friendly drinking
experience, and it doesn't get much more elegant than the Oak
Bar (The Fairmont Copley Plaza, 138 St. James Avenue, Boston,
617.267.5300), Boston's nerve center of sophisticated lounging. Dress your best
and cozy up to one of several coffee-based winter warmers here. The African
Spice ($10) will awaken your palate with coffee, Goldschläger cinnamon schnapps
(gold flakes - oooh shiny!), and Amarula, a creamy South African liqueur made
from the tangy marula fruit. The Scottish Joe ($10) will make you want to bag a
piper; pecan-flavored Macallan Amber single-malt whisky liqueur is nutty and
sweet, while Drambuie brings honey and herbs to the table. More in the mood for
dessert? Try the Bailey's Komet ($10), made with coffee, vanilla vodka, Baileys
Irish Cream, and dark crème de cacao. Or opt for the Turtle Coffee ($10), a
blend of coffee, Frangelico, Baileys Caramel Irish Cream, and dark crème de
cacao that perfectly mimics the luscious and chewy candy from which it draws
inspiration.
Over at Eastern Standard (528 Commonwealth Avenue,
Boston, 617.532.9100), there's nearly always a seasonally appropriate coffee
drink on the cocktail menu. Soothe your shivers with a Café Cadillac ($10),
made with coffee and Galliano, a nuclear-canary-yellow Italian liqueur that
smacks of star anise, cinnamon, and vanilla. You've probably noticed a bottle
at bars before, lurking amid the cordials, but been bewildered by its
Crayola-on-crack hue. Fear not! It's legit - and a key ingredient, along with
cream and white crème de cacao, in the rich and sinful Golden Cadillac
cocktail, which was the muse for Eastern Standard's caffeinated cousin. As a
nod, in part, to its creamy inspiration, the Café Cadillac is gently blanketed
with fresh whipped cream and chocolate, making for a true winter treat.
Of course, if you've developed an immunity to mere coffee (ahem,
guilty here) and seek something stronger, you'll have to switch to espresso. Lobby
Bar & Kitchen (131 Broad Street, Boston, 617.261.5353) can
answer your desperate call for a caffeine fix. The Italian Night Cap ($11)
combines espresso with Double Espresso vodka (wheeee!), Godiva White Chocolate
liqueur, Kahlua, and a float of Grand Marnier for an orangy, chocolaty slap in
the face. Too prissy for you? Fine. Man up with an infused shot, such as the
South of the Border ($7), made with espresso and Patron XO, or the Italian Lady
($7), made with espresso and Sambuca. If that last one doesn't jumpstart your
evening, then hoo-boy sailor, you might be a lost cause.
