During winter in Buffalo it’s so easy to get lost in the seas of electric blankets and monochromatic scenes outside of our windows. Our moods darken, our tans fade, and our goose bumps rise. Heaven forbid we need to go out for a night—that cute coat is just not warm enough and the long walk from your parking spot onto Allen just sounds awful. 

‘Tis the season for turtlenecks, long johns, and parties at your house. The only way to keep your cool without feeling it on your back is to entertain right in the comfort of your home; and hopefully your own personal bar cart is stocked with Cabernet and Jack Daniels.

Your friends are the best winter coats during these long Buffalo winters: they’ll keep you warm with their company and sometimes with their hugs. Often times, a night in a small apartment filled with giggles is all you really need to feel like the sun is shining on you once again. So what can you make these unsung heroes in your life from bar cart ingredients?

Let’s leave these things to the professionals. After asking Cat, the resident bartender at Hydraulic Hearth who pours a mean shot, she advised the modest Bee’s Knees, Gold Rush,  Moscow Mule, or Dark ‘N Stormy to keep the laughs going and the company appeased. 

They’re all simple enough recipes even the heaviest of hands can make work:

The Bee’s Knees:

• 2 oz. Gin
• ¾ oz. Lemon
• ¾ oz. Honey 

Its cousin, The Gold Rush:

• 2 oz. Bourbon
• ¾ oz. Lemon
• ¾ oz. Honey

The legendary Moscow Mule: 

• 2 oz. Vodka
• 4 oz. Ginger Beer
• ½ lime
• 1 perfectly chilled copper mug

Or one of my personal favorites, a Dark ‘N Stormy:

• 2 oz. Rum
• 4 oz. Ginger Beer 
• ½ cup of ice

They’re cheap, easy, and you might be able to throw around the term “mixologist” a couple of times before your friends get up and leave. If the couch just doesn’t end up cutting it, go visit her at Hydraulic Hearth. Leave a big tip—she did after all make your pre-party a hit.