Welcome back to Hoot Recommends. We’re into November now, and the weather is starting to get colder. As it starts to get chillier outside, we’ve decided to share our favorite hot drinks to help you warm up.
Liam: My favorite hot drink has to be hot chocolate. It’s such a late fall classic and you really can’t go wrong with it. Especially when it’s paired with a chocolate containing dessert like a cookie or a s’more, it’s just so good. Just like a little slice of heaven in your hands.
Berenice: Though I do enjoy hot chocolate, I would generally opt for matcha latte, specifically without sweetener. I find that with sweetener it ends up tasting too sweet (especially if eating something sweet with it), and not having the sweetener also helps me enjoy the taste of the matcha more.
James: I don’t like any hot drinks. Like at all. None of them. I don’t like the sensation of having hot liquid burning the roof of my mouth. I also don’t particularly care for the taste of coffee in general (except in ice cream), so I don’t feel like I’m missing out. I am perfectly happy sticking to the wide variety of beverages available ice-cold or room temperature.
Richard: I’m not one for hot drinks. I love coffee, but it takes a lot for me to have it hot. It can be 30 degrees outside and I’ll probably be drinking an iced latte. I will say that drinking a cappuccino, while taking a walk in freezing temperatures, is spectacular. And I’m also a sucker for hot chocolate too, especially after sledding.
Leo: I am a big fan of hot black tea, specifically Earl Grey in the morning and Darjeeling later in the day. A nice herbal tea can be good before going to bed, especially mint tea. Twinings is the best brand of tea to compromise quality and budget, Lipton is terrible, Bigelow is decent, but their herbal teas are a lot better than their caffeinated ones, and Harney & Sons is my favorite overall, though a bit pricey. I recommend a visit to their store in Millerton, New York! As for coffee, I used to hate it, but it’s growing on me a bit, and sometimes I substitute my morning Earl Grey for a cup of coffee from Sherm if I have a busy day ahead of me. On the hot chocolate front, it can be good (I like mine water based, not milk, very controversial I know), but I only tend to drink it after skiing, sledding, or shoveling snow. The sugary taste can feel cloying and unhealthy if you drink it outside of doing something active.
Anna Jane: I don’t know what’s up with these delinquents not liking hot drinks. Your hot drink doesn’t have to be burning hot. I’m with Liam and hot chocolate. It’s getting cold outside, and the best thing to warm my hands up is a cup of hot chocolate. Other hot drinks are nice too—I like tea and I like coffee—but hot chocolate is the best.
