Hot Drinks for Cozy Camping

Simple Mulled Wine

Mulled Wine is like coziness in a mug, and it's very easy to make! We love to warm up by the fire throughout the winter season with a hot drink, and if you are a wine drinker, you’ve got to try this recipe out. The best thing about mulled wine is that there is room for creativity, or making use of what you already have in your cupboard!

Make it in one pot over the fire, and cozy up while the aroma fills the air!

Ingredients:

• 750 ml Bottle red wine (Hot tip - merlots, or full bodied fruity red wines are best, but it doesn't have to be fancy, and get a twist off or don't forget to pack your corkscrew!)
• ¼ cup maple syrup (or honey)
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• 2 oranges, sliced into rounds
• 3 star anise and/or 1 tbsp. whole cloves
• You can substitute the spices with whole allspice, nutmeg, vanilla bean, pumpkin pie spice, or cardamom pods!

Optional Ingredients:

• ½ cup brandy - this is more for adding a bit of a kick and some warmth to the flavor

Optional Garnish:

• A handful of cranberries added a few minutes before removing from heat
• Extra orange slices

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a pot.

Simmer over medium to low heat for at least 30 minutes so the flavours will meld.

Heat it gently! Avoid boiling the wine, this will cause it to taste too syrupy or spicy, and the alcohol will evaporate over time.

Add last minute garnishes, serve and enjoy!

 

Easy ways to spice up your Coffee

Though we're big fans of a good old cup of hot coffee, sometimes it is fun to add a little pizzazz to your morning mug. When we're out camping, and enjoying our adventures, there seems to be more time to sit and enjoy a morning beverage in the beautiful outdoors.

If you’re boiling water to make coffee or tea while you're out camping, these little extras are easy to add and give a new life to your old beverage.

1. Cinnamon: this can be ground and brewed with your coffee grinds, or sprinkled into a prepared mug. You can also put a cinnamon stick or two in the pot of water you are boiling and use that water to prepare your coffee or tea.
2. Maple Syrup: If you enjoy your coffee sweet, maple syrup adds an excellent flavor profile that compliments coffee, as well as has minerals and nutrients that are not found in refined sugar.
3. Hazelnuts: you can add some hazelnut oil into your mug and get all the flavor without the additives and sugars found in store bought coffee creamers. If you grind your own beans, you can actually grind them with some hazelnuts as well to brew a delicious and nutty cup of coffee, while adding some healthy fats in.
4. Pumpkin Spice: Add some pumpkin spice to your coffee grounds before brewing, or make your own spice blend by mixing ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice. Get all the flavor notes without the added sugars.
5. Sweetened Condensed Milk: Have you ever had a Vietnamese coffee? Delicious. Mimic this by adding sweetened condensed milk to taste to your brewed cup of coffee.
6. Peppermint oil and Cocoa: Peppermint oil has been associated with many health benefits, and when paired with some chocolate it makes a great addition to your coffee - or skip the coffee and make a peppermint hot chocolate.
7. Nutmeg: You can add nutmeg into your coffee grounds to brew a delightfully full flavored coffee, The warm and nutty taste profile of nutmeg compliments coffee delightfully.
8. Vanilla Extract: Add a couple drops of vanilla extract into your brewed coffee (goes great with nutmeg as well), this will give a hint of sweetness along with the warm and gentle vanilla taste.