It’s time to grab the snuggie in the winter weather of Delhi and warm up with a round of winter cocktails. Fighting off the cold weather with everything from chocolate to some rum; these winter warmers are the perfect way to keep your spirits high when the mercury’s low and the weather turns freezing once again in north India. Party in the summers to beat the heat but party harder and all night in the winters because the winter weather in north India is the best time to enjoy some of the best things in life you miss out on during the scorching months. Weekend’s a day away, make it perfect by having a cozy house party and trying these ravishing winter cocktails:

Here’s how the classic little whiskey, coco, brandy, and rum will fill the winter weather in Delhi with flavors.

Dandy Shandy- This one’s a treat all beer lovers. Mix your stout beer and ginger beer to make this simple and classic, quick to make and serve British cocktail. You wont spend more than 3 minutes to make it and less than a minute to finish it!

Manhattan- Some prefer whisky over everything. Manhattan is the solution for whisky fans. For a real Manhattan, you need real whisky, i.e. rye whiskey! The harmony between the bitters, the sweet vermouth, and the sharp will make you want this intoxicating and warming musky drink more and more.

Ultra Alexander- Winter in Delhi calls for chocolate. And the more you splurge in chocolate the more it makes you get lost in bliss! A sweet blend of brandy, creme de cocoa, chocolate syrup and whipped cream makes the ultimate dessert or party drink. But the drink is incomplete without some choco cookies, almond cookies or a bar of dark chocolate.

Mai Tai Me- If you thought the name was funny, hear this.. Experts say some people prefer drinking rum over other spirits, because they can handle it! While rum is not as strong as whisky, it’s neither light as wine or beer. Serve a blended cocktail of rum, Cointreau (an odorless and colorless orange flavored liquor), and your favorite fruit juices over ice. Why ice? Who says, winter is the time for hot drinks only. Cold drinks are as much fun in the winter weather of Delhi as in the summers.

Ginger Champagne Punch- Sure Champagne is not a drink for all and not for all occasions but if you plan to give your sweet darling a romantic surprise, regal champagne is the thing for you. But not champagne straight from the bottle, add some punch to it and then serve. Here’s how. Add crystallized ginger, vodka and some sugar and chill the drink for a few hours for best taste.

Photo by quinn.anya

At the first sign of cold in the winter weather of Delhi, most of us reach out for Vitamin C but this not the only essential Vitamin that your body needs when the weather in Delhi turns cold. The weather in Delhi, when turns to freeze, we often catch cold and flu and that’s the time our doctor suggests intake of some vitamin supplements to increase our immunity. But how about making these supplements a part of your daily diet to enjoy the winters in Delhi to the fullest! Vitamins are proven to help our body by adding an extra boost that the body lacks during winter months. All vitamins supplement our body in a positive way, but in winter months, there are much more specific vitamins to help the body through cold weather.

Vitamin A- All multi-vitamins contain a large amount of the daily vitamins that your body needs to stay healthy, but Vitamin A is an important vitamin that should be taken extra. If Vitamin A is taken once every day during the winter months, prevents any bone problems, eye and skin disorders and is a natural anti-oxidant.  It is indispensable for our health and is especially abundant in foods such as apricots, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, kale, liver, mangos, red peppers, spinach and sweet potatoes.

Vitamin B6- Many people agree that during summer months, they are more high-spirited, thus producing more energy. If everyone had at least 30 minutes of sunlight a day, attitudes would be more positive and less grumpy and lazy. The sun helps our bodies produce serotonin, which controls our mood. In the winter, sunlight is more infrequent and Vitamin B6 helps support energy. Taking Vitamin B6 everyday will keep you feeling as positive, cheerful, and energetic as you would in the summer.

Vitamin C- The majority of sicknesses are experienced during the winter weather in Delhi. Every year, during that time of winter when you would usually get sick, Vitamin C can help immensely in increasing the immunity. Try this, take Vitamin C everyday a month before winter in Delhi kicks in and you will be amazed to see that you managed to get through the whole season even without a cold. We highly recommend taking Vitamin C because it helps the body fight any sickness during the cold weather in Delhi.

Vitamin D - As we strive for sun in the winter, a vital vitamin supplement can prove a great alternative for the winters in Delhi. Taking Vitamin D everyday during months of less sun can keep the level of the vitamin steady throughout the cycle of months every year. The lack of sun, often leads to SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) in many during the grey months. Take Vitamin D way before the winter in Delhi starts, i.e. from August until winters end in February and your body should feel healthy and revived the remaining year.

Vitamin E- In the winter in Delhi, the lack of humidity troubles many. Whereas, the humidity during the summer helps to keep our bodies warm and our sweat glands stay active with this constant process in the summer, we do not have to worry about our skin or hair being dry. Vitamin E should therefore be taken, twice daily to keep skin supple and hair beautiful and shiny. You will be surprised to know that daily Vitamin E intake will save you loads of money on the lotions or moisturizers you stack up during every winter in Delhi.

Note: Please check with your physician if you have any allergies or issues alike before you take any of these.

Photo by Colindunn.

Drinking water in plenty is more possible and practical in the scorching summers but some experts advise that drinking water in requisite quantities is way more important in the winter months. This is because in the summer months the body itself demands and shows more signs of drinking water to keep the body hydrated but in the winter months this becomes less. And it is during these cold and freezing months that we often end up drinking water less than a glass a day, as we experience less thirst and don’t sweating.

When the weather is hot, most of us are eager to run to the refrigerator and grab the coldest of bottle of water and glug it down rapidly. But in the winter months, drinking water becomes minimal and the only fluids we take during the day are hot cups of coffee and tea which is a highly unhealthy practice as the change in season makes very little difference in diminishing the importance and requirement of water by the body.

Health experts say good hydration is essential because the body is mostly water based-- about 70 percent overall. Doctors around the world advise, that the quantity of drinking water can never be specific, therefore one should drink water according to their body weight and according to activities they do during the day. People often don't recognize the early signs of mild dehydration. “Thirst is a good indicator, but a late indicator”, says Nita Menon, senior Doctor at a famous multispecialty hospital in Delhi. Besides, drinking water in lesser quantities in the cold winter months often leads to lesser lubrication and therefore lesser fluid around joints, mucus membranes, eyes and the spinal cord. Drinking water is essential as it eliminates the most common problem of constipation in the winter months. Drinking water with honey and lemon as the first thing in the morning flushes out all the toxins from the system and keeps one in shape. Drinking water is the key preventer of acne as well. Skin specialists always suggest drinking up to almost 10 glasses of water a day to avoid dry, dull and scaly skin during the winter months.

Here are some questions most of us might ask still:

1)      Why do I need to drink water if I am not sweating?? - And the answer is maintaining hydration is vital for the proper functioning of the body, irrespective of season. Thanks to the biting cold, we end up being locked up in our rooms, in front of a cozy fireplace or heater and eat all day long. Such unhealthy habits of drinking no water, lesser activity during the day and eating more, always adds those extra kilos to our belly in the winter months and then takes months to get rid of! Drinking water increases the metabolism rate and hastens the process of digestion.

2)      How much water should I drink? - Like we mentioned above, the quantity of water one must take can never be specified exactly and varies from the activities you do to the weight of your body. But this is a safe minimum to answer your question.

Men: 8 – 10 glasses of water

Women: 6 – 8 glasses of water

Exercising men: 10 – 14 glasses of water

Exercising women: 8 – 12 glasses of water

Lactating women: 7 – 10 glasses of water

3)      How can I increase my water intake? – If knowing the benefits of drinking water doesn’t inspire you enough, we suggest some creative ways to help you increase your water intake. Soups are everyone’s favorite in winters and clear soups are a great source of increasing the water content in the body. Try switching to different flavors of herbal tea this winter. They are rich in antioxidants and are best had with less or no sugar. Therefore these do not harm the body like coffee does.

The main source or fluid in our body should be water. After all, we evolved drinking water, not juice, coffee or flavored drinks.