Simmer

(Turkish Coffee)

The story goes that Southsides were invented at New York City's "21" Club during Prohibition, when bootleggers from Chicago's South Side were among the restaurant's customers. The original recipe called for gin and lemon juice, but today the cocktail  — still popular at "21"  — is also made with vodka or rum. Our variation substitutes lime juice for lemon juice and leaves the choice of spirits open.

Agua Fresca de Jamaica Mexico has a wonderful variety of sweetened flavored waters known as aguas frescas, which are sold at street stands and marketplaces throughout the country. They are made from citrus fruits, melons, cucumbers, even the sweet-tart pulp of tamarind pods. But among the most popular is this one, made by steeping the dried, deep crimson calyxes of the hibiscus flower. This slightly tart, garnet-colored beverage is incredibly beautiful and refreshing. Piloncillo, the unrefined brown sugar used in traditional rustic desserts, adds a mellow, molasses-like sweetness.

Here's the archetypal cocoa, topped with marshmallows and made even better by the addition of bittersweet chocolate.

Teas are a wonderful way to use seasonal herbs, so experiment with your favorites. The measurements are flexible; depending on the freshness and strength of the herbs, you may need to add or subtract.

These nourishing atoles — fruit-flavored drinks thickened with corn tortilla flour — are served much like hot chocolate. They are warming on cold mornings or evenings.