Drinks

If you feel like experimenting, try using cashews or pecans in place of the almonds.

This chai is definitively ginger-forward. Feel free to add a little more maple syrup if you like it on the sweeter side. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

For a version you can serve right away, omit the liqueurs, which will eliminate the need to refreeze. You will have more cookies than you need, but they’re delicious on their own.

Thicker and creamier than the typical hot chocolate and embellished with both amaro and espresso. If you don’t have an espresso machine, use strong coffee instead.

Potent—but so much classier than your dive bar shots.

Instead of vanilla extract for this Mexican hot chocolate recipe, try almond extract if you’ve got it handy, which adds even more depth of flavor. Go one step further and pair it with this churros recipe.

If you want to mellow this out a bit, use strong coffee or a couple teaspoons of espresso powder instead of the freshly made espresso.

Any dark caramel-flavored liquor will work with this; it’s particularly good with rye whiskey or rum.

If you’re feeling really decadent and fancy (as you should), add a splash of half-and-half or heavy cream just before serving.

This power-breakfast smoothie will be extra smooth if you soak the nuts and oats in water overnight; drain before proceeding.

The liquid is really up to you. Nut milks add body and protein, but if you prefer something sweeter, try juice. Less heavy? Go with coconut water.

A pinch of salt makes everything taste better, including savory smoothies.

Sub spinach for kale if you like.

This may just be the cocktail to end all Manischewitz jokes. You decide.

Two types of rum double the fun in this citrusy punch. If you can’t find kumquats, add another orange.

“Without the oleo-saccharum, the punch would be flat,” Jack McGarry, one of the owners of the Dead Rabbit in NYC, insists. “It’s vital.”

Instead of lemon juice, you can use fresh grapefruit or orange juice; bourbon is a great sub for rye.

As bananas turn the corner from ripe to too-ripe, peel them and pop them in the freezer so you can make this anytime (you won’t need as much ice if using frozen bananas).

Mint, ginger, fennel, and cayenne are known for their digestive properties. Turn this into a spritzer by using club soda instead of water.

If you can remove the lemon peel in one unbroken spiral strip, it will look great in the bowl.

Inspired by the quintessential version served at Curra’s Grill in Austin. Trust us, it’s good!

If you’re in a hurry, you can use very strong coffee instead of the espresso, and warmed half and half or cream instead of the steamed milk.

This potent New Orleans nightcap is as much about the aromatic absinthe rinse as it is the Cognac and rye.

We’re partial to the grenadine from Jack Rudy Cocktail Co.