As the cold weather sets in, hot cocktails are perfect crow pleasers! Learn how to impress your holiday visitors with Paragary's Hot Buttered Hard 'Chai'-der.

HOT BUTTERED HARD ‘CHAI’-DER

• 2 tablespoons chai toffee sauce (recipe below)
• 1 ½ ounces darjeeling-infused vodka (recipe below)
• 6 ounces boiling apple cider
• Garnish: orange twist, cinnamon stick & grated nutmeg & whipped cream (recipe below)

Combine 2 tablespoons chai toffee sauce with 1 ½ ounces Darjeeling-infused vodka in heatproof glasses. Pour 6 ounces boiling apple cider over each, and stir. Garnish with cinnamon stick, orange twist (express oils over top of drink), & grated nutmeg.

CHAI TOFFEE SAUCE

• 4 ounces (1 stick) room temperature 365 Everyday Value Organic unsalted butter
• 1 cup C&H lightly packed dark brown sugar
• ¾ cup Humboldt Creamery Organic heavy cream
• 8 green Spicely Organic cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• ½ teaspoon Spicely Organic black peppercorns
• 8 365 Everyday Value Organic cloves
• 4 365 Everyday Value Organic cinnamon sticks
• 4 – 1 ½ inch piece fresh Organic ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

Combine spices, butter, sugar, and cream in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium (so sauce does not boil over) and boil, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and darkens slightly, about 4 minutes. Strain toffee mixture through a fine strainer.

DARJEELING-INFUSED VODKA

• 4 bags Darjeeling black tea
• 1 liter (33.814 ounces) vodka
• Add tea bags to bottle of vodka, allow to steep for 24 hours. Remove tea bags.

ANGOSTURA WHIPPED CREAM

• 3/4 cup Humboldt Creamery Organic heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp. 365 Everyday Value Organic brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. angostura bitters
• whisk until soft peaks.

*** All ingredients listed except angostura bitters can be found labeled at Whole Foods Market on Arden and Eastern in Sacramento. Non-brand and non-organic can be used in place of any of the ingredients listed above.