Jeff Camden

Andrea Robinson, restaurant manager, enjoying one of the River Café’s specialty coffees in front of their open fireplace

“It was a windy, moonlit night with the teeth of winter in its breath, and a skiff of new snow glowed under the lunar sky. I had mixed a hot rum toddy and drank it in front of the fire before turning in."

So begins “Men for the Mountains” from the Wild Rose Anthology of Alberta Prose, a collection of stories with the oft-harsh cold of prairie winters serving as a backdrop, evoking urgent longings for roaring fires and a stiff shot of the good stuff.

As the temperatures sink into the negatives, hankerings for piping hot beverages can be enough to drive even the most diehard beer drinker to the nearest establishment with a fireplace and a cozy atmosphere.

Unlike a Caesar or a pint of Grasshopper, however, specialty coffees, as they’re sometimes called, can be hard to find. Inquiries about hot rum toddies at some area pubs were met with a stiff silence, followed by a “How do you make that?” Persistence led to the discovery of a few toddy-friendly lounges and pubs in the city, where bartenders won't grimace when you order up a Monte Cristo or Spanish coffee, but will smilingly whip up a toasty beverage with a dollop of whipping cream and a cinnamon stick.

In the opulent Oak Room of the Palliser Hotel, the drink menu features such standards as Spanish Coffee (brandy and Kahlúa) and blueberry tea (orange pekoe tea, amaretto and Grand Marnier) and their own Palliser coffee (Baileys, crème de cacao and Frangelico). The doting staff will also serve up hot buttered rums on request. For anyone not familiar with this classic, the standard recipe uses dark rum, brown sugar, butter and cloves. Bartender Chelsea Dakers admits they use a mix in the posh lounge, adding hot water, cinnamon and allspice. Still, the end result is just as rich and warms you up instantly.

Dakers says even though guests and visitors of the swanky hotel still order wine and chilled drinks with their high-end dinners, boozy coffees see a spike in popularity as the temperatures, plummet. "I've made a gazillion blueberry teas lately," she says with a laugh.

Meanwhile, in the more laid-back atmosphere of the Rose and Crown pub, a hot chocolate with a shot of schnapps is an easy pour for Anne Marshall, a busy bartender who admits a fancy coffee may take a bit more time to whip up, although she adds it's no skin off her nose.

"They take a minute longer to make than pouring a pint, but it doesn't take that long," she says, “The coffee is right there on the warmer.” Marshall also notes she has been noticing more regulars belly up to the bar for a hot chocolate now that winter is here.

Of course, when it comes to hot drinks, the setting is just as important as the beverage itself. The atmosphere of the River Café on Prince’s Island Park can’t be beat. Patrons have to make a short but scenic trek through the (sometimes) snow-covered trees to reach the rustic restaurant, which emanates warmth from the glow of the Christmas lights outside to the fireplace and cozy-cabin decor within.

The staff will concoct a Monte Cristo (Grand Marnier and Kahlúa) without batting an eye, and have even been known to greet customers with a hot beverage at the door on particularly chilly evenings (perhaps as a thank-you for braving the cold and showing up). A hot toddy by a blazing fire on a snowy night — this is as warm as you’ll get this winter.