Max Your Hot Chocolate to the Max

JoziStylers, considering this ghastly weather we’ve been having in Johannesburg – it was minus 5 earlier this week, we need some serious winter warm-ups, from toasty tips to hot sips. We’re turning up the heat, and one can only hope Eskom is obliging.

My primary advice, before you even reach for the heater or the gas, is to find natural ways to keep warm. I always prefer this approach because heaters dry out the air, which dries out my throat, and I cannot afford to have my instrument – the golden voice for radio, becoming dehydrated.

The cardinal rule of winter elegance is to layer like a legend. You don’t simply grab the thickest, chunkiest coat and hope for the best.

Key Takeaway for the Soft Life

JoziStyle insists on a discerning, layered approach to winter warmth: layering light, breathable fabrics allows for comfortable temperature regulation throughout the fluctuating Johannesburg day, preserving both style and body temperature. This external finesse must be matched internally by upgrading predictable hot beverages—such as tea or coffee—into luxurious, customised, and often spiked, spiced concoctions like Horlicks or mulled apple juice, ensuring warmth from the feet up and the inside out.

Beyond Ubiquitous Sips

Warm yourself from the inside with something more substantial than ubiquitous tea or coffee, which can make you jittery. Here are five superior hot beverages to add to your repertoire:

Malted Luxury (Horlicks or Hot Chocolate):

The big advantage here is the richness: they are made with milk, which is more substantial than water. A simple cup of hot milk with honey and vanilla is a wonderfully substantial treat in itself.

Spicy Silky Hugs (Chai Latte):

Think of cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom—spices reminiscent of India that turn hot milk into something exotic.

Zhuzhed-Up Rooibos:

Rooibos is naturally sweet and packed with antioxidants. To add a wellness boost, you can zhuzh it up with honey, cinnamon, lemon, or ginger.

Mulled Apple Juice:

For the more adventurous, this is a non-alcoholic, flavour-packed combination. Simply simmer apple juice with orange peel, cloves, and a cinnamon stick. It smells like nostalgia. I sometimes cheat and mix microwaved apple juice into Rooibos for a touch of sweetness and acidity.

The Spiked Sip (Open Season):

For the brave, the bold, and the adults at home, a splash or two of your favourite spirit can spike anything into something out of this world. There is absolutely no shame—and I will stand on this hill—in adding whisky, brandy, Amarula, rum, or even tequila to your hot chocolate or rooibos. Just don’t do it at the office.

Maximising the Hot Chocolate Experience

Hot chocolate is my weakness; I constantly strive to max my hot chocolate to the heavens and back. I look in the pantry and the liquor cabinet, and it is open season, baby.

If you’re making hot chocolate, throw everything in except the kitchen sink. I will add a splash or two of cream (whipped cream for presentation, naturally), spices like ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, or even a few chilli flakes for a lift. Add marshmallows, or better yet, a scoop of ice cream melting in the hot beverage. It’s utterly divine, and if nobody’s watching, make that spirit splash a double.

Whether you’re layering up like a legend or hibernating with something hot and heavenly, these are the ways you can stay warm, stay stylish, and most importantly, stay spicy.

COMMENT: Which winter comfort—a new pair of proper smart winter socks or a triple-spiked hot chocolate—would you choose right now?

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