As everyone knows, some things just taste better during the colder months. Hot chocolate. Spicy chili. Dark beers. These are the things that make the cold weather worth it. Here are a few tried & true methods to help survive the brisk chills and frosty temperatures.

1. Hot Chocolate/Hot Tea. Here at the store, we carry the Village Bakehouse’s very own hot chocolate blend. This beverage tastes like heaven, and will be sure to keep you warm on a cold winter’s evening. If chocolate is not to your liking, we also carry locally grown herbal tea blends, made by Suki Roth. Brew up a warm cup of Kava chai, add a dash of local honey from Piemonte Farms, and a little Homeland Creamery milk, and find a bonfire to cozy up to.
2. Chili/Soup. As many folks know, North Carolina has a thriving local farming community. Here in the store, we carry local meat that has been ethically-raised, grass-fed, cage-free, the works. You can cook up a nice big pot of soup for your sniffling friends and family and rest assured you are providing them with a healing remedy. Add a can of beans, a pinch of spice, and transform your soup into chili. Feeling under the weather yourself? Come in for our homemade “Chicken Awesome” soup. This soup undergoes a 24-hour extraction to make the bone-broth base that really hits the spot.
3. Dark Beer. This is a personal favorite method to chase the winter blues away. Look out for Foothills‘ People’s Porter, Highland’s Thunderstruck Coffee Porter, or Fullsteam’s First Frost Persimmon Ale. These beers are rich and robust, and best appreciated when temperatures drop. For the gluten-folks, we now carry Citizen Cider’s 22 oz “Dirty Mayor”, made with fresh ginger and Vermont small-orchard apples. If you’re a cocktail lover, be sure to check out our alternative beverage options from Crude Bitters & White Whale Bold Mixers. Both of North Carolina origin, these unique mixers will impress your most picky holiday guests.

   

   

4. Dessert. Winter is the time for indulgences. Our shelves are dedicated to providing the best of the best, and our sweet treats are no exception. Try a Homeland Creamery ice cream sunday with some Fat Toad Farms Vanilla Bean Goats Milk Caramel. Not a caramel fan? Not a problem! Sub in some Farmer’s Daughter Peach with Vanilla Bean & Bourbon preserves or Fiddlehead Farms Salted Caramel Apple Butter. You could even just skip the ice cream and dive head first into a box of Olive & Sinclair’s hand made Duck Fat Caramels. Really, the options are endless. No matter you tastes, there is something for everyone.

These are our foolproof methods for winter survival. We hope they help you stay warm this winter!