Don Kavanagh eases into the mellow cheer of hot toddies and buttered rum.
Wow, it didn't take winter long to make its presence felt, did it?
One minute the sun is splitting the stones and the next we've got snow flurries, wild winds, unforgiving temperatures and the inevitable rain.
Still, it's an ill wind that blows no good and at least this miserable weather means we can reach for the kettle and start making hot drinks to stave off winter's deep, sometimes savage, bite.
Hot toddies are well known, but not everyone knows how to make a nice hot drink that uses heat, alcohol and flavour in a really good winter warmer. Probably the simplest and most effective hot drink is the hot whiskey. This has been protecting the Irish and Scots from the baleful climates they live in for centuries and is credited with also protecting against winter colds and chills.