Hot Drinks

No one's got hot drinks nailed down like the Irish. Irish coffee, anyone? Or the ubiquitous cuppa (tea)? Well, for those of us who can't take caffeine there are even more choices. The one I remember from my student days in Wales is Horlicks - malted milk - which is now available in a light version. Horlicks is meant to be drunk in the evening, to promote "restful sleep." I bought a box as soon as I spotted it in the grocery store but the light version just isn't the same (read "sweet") as the original. The other malted drink is Ovaltine, probably not unfamiliar to those in the U.S. Ovaltine is marketed as a high energy pick-me-up, since the malt contains so many vitamins and minerals! Note that in Ireland Guinness is also in this category, a kind of liquid meal. In the morning before heading out on my grocery run I often drink a caffeine free coffee substitute similar to Postum or Inka, made of chicory, rye, barley, and maybe malt, called Solace. This one has the added ingredients of figs and acorns.

People who love "real" coffee will be dismayed in the UK to discover that at home, if you're offered a coffee, it is most likely of the instant variety. They won't add insult to injury though by offering you powdered fake cream. Even Nescafe with real milk isn't bad. Real coffee is available at the grocery store, of course, and several places downtown offer espresso, which I haven't sampled. (Note to self - ask Walt about the espresso!) The tea, however, is way better here; stronger, smoother, altogether more satisfying, which it would have to be considering that most people must drink 3 or 4 cups of it a day at least. It doesn't take long to get into the tea habit - why not have a cup with your toast for breakfast, and another around 11 a.m. to help you survive until lunch? And mid-afternoon? And late afternoon as well? Lipton must get the cheaper tea leaves for its less discriminating American customers (keeping in mind there are plenty of high quality tea devotees, such as my sister in law Linda). I found a decaf organic fair trade variety of English Breakfast tea from a company called Clipper that goes perfectly with our favorite tea bikkies: Hob Nobs and McVities digestives. So far I've managed to stop myself from buying these with the chocolate already on them, because I remember from 20 years ago that chocolate Hob Nobs are my downfall.