Now that the unseasonably warm early winter weather we’ve enjoyed in northern New York is coming to an end, I often find myself in need of a hot drink when I return from a ride. But I don’t want to spend a long time in the kitchen making it. My answer to this dilemma? Choco-java. And it couldn’t be easier to make. Just combine a heaping teaspoon of instant coffee with a packet of instant hot chocolate mix in a mug and then add boiling water. Now stir. That’s it. Of course, if there’s more than one chilly cyclist, you’ll need more mugs, not to mention more packets of hot chocolate (and spoonfuls of instant coffee). But you’d already figured that out, hadn’t you?

Want to make a good thing even better? Then stir a small splash of milk or half-and-half into the hot choco-java to make it creamier. And if you’ve finished your chores for the day, consider adding a tot of whisky, as well. Any decent blended Scotch will do the job. Save your smoky single malt for another day. It would be sadly wasted here.

Could anything be easier? I can’t see how. Hot choco-java—it’s just the ticket for warming you up after a cold ride. Give it a try and see if you don’t agree.

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