[1] One of Cask & Kettle’s five flavors, Irish Coffee, delivers a great hot cocktail in seconds (all photos © Cask & Kettle).

[2] All you need is a Keurig-style brewer and Cask & Kettle pods.

[3] How about a Mint Patty cocktail?

[4] Make a Cask & Kettle Ice Cream Sundae. Add a scoop of ice cream with an optional topping of chocolate sauce, caramel sauce or whipped cream.

[5] Each festive-looking box contains 5 pods.

In two decades of roaming through trade shows, reading the trade and consumer press, and popping into every specialty food store we pass, we’ve never come across anything like Cask & Kettle.

When we first heard about Cask & Kettle hot cocktails, we were intrigued.

When we tasted them, we were delighted, enchanted, charmed…and one step away from being elated to realize that we could have these delectable hot cocktails at home, whenever we liked.

Hot cocktails have existed for centuries, from buttered rum, toddies and mulled wine (here’s the difference), to hot milk punch and the Tom and Jerry. to the more modern Irish Coffee (invented in 1943), to every modern mixologist’s recipes since then.
 
 
INTRODUCING CASK & KETTLE

Cask & Kettle is the inspired creation of entrepreneurs.

The magic happens with the simplicity of a Keurig home coffee brewing machine (photo #2).

It delivers brewed craft cocktails made with fine spirits, that deliver bold flavors and delicious aromas.

All of this comes from a Keurig-type K-pod, which includes the alcohol and other ingredients.

Just pop the capsule into your Keurig and press the button. In a minute, your cocktail is ready.

Whether you want to sip alone or serve guests, every cup is a party.

Delicious as the cocktails are straight, you can enhance them for spectacular results (see below).
 
 
THE HOT COCKTAIL FLAVORS

Each one is better than the next. The current lineup includes:

 
Each cocktail contains approximately one ounce of high-quality distilled spirits, plus decaffeinated coffee. Each multi-serving package contains five capsules (photo #5), each delivering a rich cocktail.

They are caffeine-free and gluten-free.

And the cocktails are a forgiving 130 calories per cup!
 
 
HOW TO SERVE CASK & KETTLE COCKTAILS

Is Cask & Kettle a coffee cocktail? A cup of spiked coffee? An after-dinner drink? A dessert?

It’s all of the above? Enjoy it:

 
 
GET YOURS!

A box of Cask & Kettle is a great gift, but start with gifting yourself!

They are certainly a “cup of cheer” in these gray, isolated times.

(They’d be just as great on a sunny day in June.)

We look forward to the end of the work day, when we can brew a cup and turn on the news.

Cask & Kettle is about $15 for a package of five capsules.

Check the store locator at CaskAndKettleUSA.com.

Cask & Kettle is available in Walmart, Sam’s Club, boutique stores and most Safeway stores.

Or, check online for “Buy Cask & Kettle Cocktails.” We found several e-tailers, including Drizly.com.

For more information, visit the brand’s website.

For gifting, Cask & Kettle will stand out as something different. The Cask & Kettle package fits into standard wine or bottle wrapping.

We send this innovative, delightful new brand our best wishes for success!
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF COCKTAILS

 
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*These proofs are for a 6-ounce cocktail. You can lower the proof significantly by selecting an 8- or 12-ounce cocktail on the Keurig. This adds more water, diluting the proof—but the results are still delicious.

If you like to entertain with fun elements, how about a cone holder (photo #3)?

Available in sizes from small to large, you can use them to serve:

 
We decided to try out the antipasto idea for cocktail nibbles.

While everyone can relate to ice cream cones, sushi hand rolls and a paper cone filled with popcorn, we didn’t know what to expect about antipasto.

But we bought a cone holder and paper cones and packed them with antipasto goodies.

The answer we found: It’s easy, and you can serve the cups with cocktail picks for people who don’t like to eat with their fingers.
 
 
WHAT TO PUT IN YOUR ANTIPASTO CONES

Pick foods that are possible to eat with the fingers.

You’ve got plenty of options: meats, cheeses, olives, cornichons and other pickled vegetables, crudites and much more.

And remember the optional cocktail picks. We like eating with our fingers (and lots of napkins), but not everybody does.

 
 
READY TO BUY A CONE HOLDER?

They’re not expensive (many are less than $15), and are:

 
If you don’t want to buy a cone holder, check out these flat-bottom cups that stand up on their own.

Have fun with it!

[1] Enjoy your antipasto from a paper cone. Here’s the recipe from Ain’t Too Proud To Meg (photo © Ain’t Too Proud To Meg).

[2] Feel free to add some fruit, like grapes and kumquats (photo © Spread & Co.).

[3] One of many design and size options. Once you have a cone holder, you’ll find ways both conventional and innovative (photo © Ice Cone Holder | Amazon).

[1] A special box of artisan chocolates, filled with winter flavors (photos © Burdick Chocolate).

[2] Close-up on the box of 58 bonbons and 8 winter flavors.

[3] A glass of mulled wine goes with any of these chocolates. Here’s a recipe (photo © Edward Howell | Unsplash).

Great chocolate flavors are made even more special because they celebrate seasonal flavors.

Thus, master chocolatier Larry Burdick has created a collection of eight bonbons celebrating the famous flavors of winter.

It’s a big box of chocolate. The total of 58 bonbons are enough to satisfy a family—or a chocoholic—who appreciate the best.

An exquisite celebration of the season, the bonbons include:

 
 
> GET THEM AT BURDICKCHOCOLATE.COM.
 
 
PAIRING WINE & CHOCOLATE

 
 
> CHOCOLATE GLOSSARY: TERMINOLOGY & TYPES
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE