Mulled, Spiced and Poured: Six Drinks to See You Through a Blyth Winter

November in Blyth has a particular feel to it. The beach walks get shorter, the wind comes in off the water with a bit more intent, and the idea of a long cold drink loses its appeal somewhere around the first frost. What you want instead is something warm, slow and slightly spiced. Something you can hold with both hands.

So we have put together six drinks for the colder months, each with a snack that belongs next to it. Order them in any order you like. Order them all across a winter if you must. Just do not rush them.

1. Spiced rum, served long with ginger

Spiced rum is the obvious starting point and there is a reason it never goes out of fashion in a British winter. Ask for it long with ginger ale, plenty of ice (yes, even in winter, it keeps the fizz alive) and a twist of orange peel over the top. The heat comes from the ginger, the warmth from the rum, and the citrus stops the whole thing turning syrupy.

If you want it as a sipper rather than a long drink, have it neat in a tumbler with a splash of water and let it sit for a minute. The spice opens up.

Snack pairing: salt and pepper chips, or a bowl of dry-roasted peanuts if you are pacing yourself. Salt is the point here. It cuts through the sweetness of the rum beautifully.

2. A proper dry stout

There is no better beer for cold weather, full stop. Dry stout drinks like a meal in a glass: dark, roasty, faintly bitter at the finish, and surprisingly light on its feet compared with the heavier porters and imperial stouts that crowd the winter shelves. Let it settle, pour it with a bit of care, and give it two minutes before the first sip.

Snack pairing: pork scratchings, ideally the ones with a proper crunch and a sachet of salt you can add yourself. If you are making an evening of it, a scotch egg is the upgrade.

3. Mulled cider

Mulled cider sits somewhere between a drink and a hug. Apple, cinnamon, clove, a bit of orange, gently heated but never boiled, because boiling kills the fruit and leaves you with something that tastes like a scented candle. Served in a glass with a cinnamon stick if you are feeling generous.

This is the drink for a long table and a group of people who all arrived cold.

Snack pairing: a warm sausage roll, or a slab of mature cheddar with chutney. Sharp, salty things work best against the sweet spice.

4. The hot toddy, done properly

Whisky, hot water, honey, lemon, and a clove or two if you like. That is it. The trick is restraint: not too much honey, not too much lemon, and hot but not scalding water. A toddy built badly tastes like a throat sweet dissolved in a bath. Built well, it is one of the most civilised things you can order in this country in November.

It is also the only drink on this list that is genuinely acceptable to order on your own at half six in the evening with a book. Nobody judges a toddy drinker.

Snack pairing: something plain and buttery. Toast, a cheese scone, or a small bowl of olives if you want to pretend you are being sensible.

5. Mulled wine, with the fruit in

Yes, it is a cliche. It is also delicious and it smells like Christmas markets and thick coats and standing about outside with your hands wrapped round a paper cup. The version worth drinking is made with a decent red, a lot of orange, and enough time on the heat to actually infuse.

Snack pairing: something hearty. A pie with proper pastry, or a plate of black pudding bites if they are on. Mulled wine wants food with weight behind it.

6. Hot chocolate, with or without the good stuff

Not everything on a winter menu has to contain alcohol. A proper hot chocolate, made with real chocolate rather than powder, topped with a ridiculous amount of cream, is the correct drink for anyone driving, anyone on an early shift, and anyone who has simply had enough of the cold.

Ask for a splash of hazelnut liqueur or a measure of rum if you are not driving. It turns into something else entirely.

Snack pairing: a brownie, or a shortbread biscuit to dunk. Dunking is not undignified. It is tradition.

Building the evening around it

The mistake people make with winter drinks is treating them like a session. They are not. Two or three of these across an evening, with food in between, is a far better plan than an attempt at matching your summer pace with a menu built for slow drinking. The alcohol-to-volume ratio is higher, the sugar is higher, and the room is warmer than you think it is. Pace it, eat something, and drink a glass of water somewhere in the middle.

Ordering for a group? Mix it up. Get a round of hot toddies and a couple of mulled ciders, share a few plates, and let everyone work out what they actually like. Winter drinks are better as a conversation than a competition.

And if you are heading out in Blyth this month, dress for the walk, not just for the bar. It is a long, cold mile back from the town centre if you have misjudged the coat, and the wind off the water does not care how good you looked inside.

Stay warm. Drink slowly. See you at the bar.