Thermos Cocktails are Hot This Season
The innovative solution to limitations on dining indoors is also a reusable way to tote home drinks to-go.
When the city of Philadelphia put a ban on indoor dining last year and the weather grew colder as fall was approaching, midtown bar Charlie was a sinner looked for a creative way to keep guests warm--and keep staff working. The team came up with the idea to serve hot cocktails in a vessel that’s well-known to campers and the school-age set: the thermos. They got to work developing recipes for what was to become the Warm-Up Menu, whose drinks have become best-sellers throughout the fall and winter months.
Charlie was a sinner pouring photo credit Hannah Baker
There are seven warm libations on the menu, and each contains around one-and-a-half servings. Soul Collector ($25) mixes Cocoa Puff-infused Tequila Ocho Plata, Averna, cocoa, oat milk, Thai chili and cinnamon, topped with whipped coconut; the savory Shortest Way Home ($23) has locally-made Bluecoat Barrel Finished Gin, oloroso sherry, green apple, red cabbage and lemon; Golden Eye ($21) mingles spice-infused Boardroom Vodka, velvet falernum, Dolin Dry Vermouth, coconut cream, oat milk and lemon; Loose Lips Sink Ships ($29) is a boozy blend of Zacapa 23 Rum, Mezcal Vago Elote, green chartreuse and housemade pecan butter; and Trade Winds ($27) is a Japanese-inspired tipple with Suntory Whisky Toki, Junmai-Shu Sake, oolong tea, lemongrass and ginger. Soul Warmer also comes in a zero proof version ($17) which omits the Tequila and Averna; the other n/a option is First Frost ($17), a no-ABV take on the Shortest Way Home.
Charlie was a sinner blanket photo credit Hannah Baker
A blanket with that cocktail?
As if serving up drinks to stave off a chilly Philly winter in a totable, portable vessel wasn’t a fun enough promotion to appeal to regulars and new customers alike, staff sweetened the deal even further. “We decided it would be an additional draw and would keep customers warmer and give something to talk about if each cocktail came with a complimentary embroidered blanket that they could bring home,” says bartender Mary Wood. “That way we could also reassure guests that we were going to keep them toasty all fall and winter.” The fleece blanket comes with every guest’s first order; according to Wood, it’s provided the restaurant and bar with a fantastic branding opportunity. “They have been a resounding success,” she says. “We have sold literally thousands of them, and they have become an Instagram sensation.”
Limitations and bans on indoor dining across the country have also stirred the master mixologist at the upscale steak and seafood chain Ocean Prime to create warm drinks to ward off the chill. The Hot Buttered Rum ($16-$18, depending on location) is a mix of Don Pancho 8-year Rum and their housemade spiced butter mix. The Grand Añejo ($34-$38, depending on location) features Avion Reserva 44 Extra Añejo or Casa Dragones Barrel Añejo Tequila, glitter-infused Grand Marnier Cuvée du Centenaire, lime juice agave; the cocktail is with Booker’s Bourbon float lit tableside or atomized on top for those taking it to-go. Both are served in a thermos that holds at least three servings, as guests who see it being delivered to a table want to order their own, according to the director of beverage Andrea Cornwell. They are poured tableside for those dining in, and once the thermos is resealed it holds its temperature for 24 hours. She says the Hot Buttered Rum has resonated more in Colorado and in the Northeast; although Florida is usually their biggest market for rum, the company chose not to offer it at locations there because of the warm climate.
But overall the promotion has been one of their most successful--not to mention memorable. “[It] reminds you of that warm and cozy feeling and we wanted to share that with our guests,” she says. “Experiences that create feelings last forever in our minds, and in a time when everyone is looking for something familiar and nostalgic, we found the thermos.”
Soul Collector
Recipe adapted from Charlie was a sinner., Philadelphia, PA
Makes 1 serving
2 oz. reposado Tequila
½ oz. Averna Amaro
7 oz. oat milk
1 oz. high-quality chocolate syrup
3 dashes Fresno chili juice (or any hot pepper-based sauce)
Coconut milk, whipped, to top
Heat the first five ingredients to a low simmer. Remove from the heat, pour into your favorite mug or thermos and top with whipped coconut milk.
Hot Buttered Rum at Ocean Prime
Hot Buttered Rum
Recipe courtesy of Ocean Prime
Makes 1 serving
2 oz. Don Pancho 8 Year Rum
4 oz. hot water
2 tablespoons Spiced Butter (see Note)
Cinnamon, sugar, and salt mixture (equal parts), to rim glass, optional
Combine the first three ingredients in a Thermos. Close the lid and shake to combine. Rim a footed mug with the cinnamon, sugar, and salt mixture (if desired), then pour the drink into the prepared mug.
For the Spiced Butter:
Combine ⅔ packed dark brown sugar, ½ cup room temperature unsalted butter, ¼ cup honey, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat all ingredients until blended and smooth. Store the butter in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.