Hot ideas for chasing away those winter blues

4 Gluehwein

This traditional beverage is consumed mainly in Austria and Germany in winter and festive seasons.

From Nov 1 you can have this authentic hot, sweet, and spiced drink at the lobby bar of the Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center. It is made of red wine, cinnamon sticks, lemon, and cloves. Cost: 68 yuan

At the same bar, other hot beverages are now available. They include black forest coffee (coffee, cherry brandy and whipped cream) and Irish coffee (coffee, Irish whisky, brown sugar and whipped cream), both costing 78 yuan. Non-alcoholic hot beverages include hazelnut flavored hot chocolate and hot jasmine verbena tea with honey, both for 58 yuan each.

5 Sakura dance

This is made from house sake, fresh lemon juice and homemade medlar juice and served in a Japanese carafe with two warm sake cups. The drink highlights the bitter and sweet flavors of medlar juice.

Available daily 5pm-1am at Redmoon, 1/F, Grand Hyatt Hotel, Beijing Oriental Plaza, 1 Dongchang'anjie, Dongcheng district; 010-6510-9366.