Hot Chocolate

Along with the delights of a mug full of smooth hot chocolate come memories of escaping the bitter cold after building snowmen and sledding down a hill of fresh white powder. When I was young, during the holidays my friends and I would come inside nearly frozen with red cheeks and my mom would serve us hot chocolate. It always hit the spot.

The hot drink continues to be a staple of the holiday season for me, and I can’t see anything else taking its place, especially eggnog.

From my observation, people either love or hate eggnog. I don’t know many people who can’t stand a cup of hot cocoa. And it’s for good reason.

One of the many positives about hot chocolate is that it comes in different forms. The little packets you can keep in your pantry year-round make it easy to whip up a chocolatey brew in minutes at any time. I prefer to make my own, but hot cocoa from a coffee shop is never a bad option either.

Some varieties are better than others, but it’s hard to go wrong with this holiday drink.

Once you have your mug filled, the marshmallows, candy canes or peppermints plop in for tasty additions. Sometimes I mix my hot chocolate with my coffee as well. Hot cocoa is particularly nice because you can enhance it, and it goes well with different kinds of additions.

The superiority of hot chocolate is also evident in its presence at so many holiday events. This weekend I attended a community event downtown where there were free cookies and hot chocolate. Free cookies and eggnog just wouldn’t be the same.

Hot chocolate is offered at locations like The Cabin and Riverview Cafe because our university knows it is a companion to the current season as well as any time of year. So I suggest you go get some and warm up while you prepare for the holidays.

-— Rachel Streich, Chief Copy Editor

Eggnog

There is nothing like sitting down in front of a fireplace with a cup full of cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg scented cheer. I have a moderately unhealthy relationship with eggnog. The second it becomes Christmas season, there is a carton in my fridge. I put it in my coffee. I sip it at night. Every chance I get to enjoy this amazing beverage I take.

One thing I love about eggnog is it comes pre-made. You do not have to warm it up or mix it into anything. At most, a quick shake of nutmeg over the top and you’re golden. But if you want the hands-down best beverage ever, make your own eggnog. I’m partial to Food Network’s recipe from Alton Brown.

Eggnog it is specialized to the holiday season. There is nothing special about hot chocolate, you can have it year round. But you can only appropriately enjoy eggnog amid the snowfall and holiday joy. I categorize it along the likes of Christmas cookies and candycanes: good all year but properly consumed during the cold winter months.

There are even songs about it. “Who Spiked the Eggnog?” by the a cappella group Straight No Chaser is a fan favorite about the clearly superior drink. In 2008, Stephen Colbert and John Legend sang the song “Nutmeg” about the importance of the spice in the all important drink. I haven’t heard a single song about valorized warmed chocolate milk.

-— Anna Mateffy, Photo Editor