Sipping

Many of us would have seen images of St Bernard’s carrying ‘emergency’ stashes of brandy in a little barrel around their necks to revitalise stranded souls from too much time in the snow. While this dog story is actually a myth (much to the author’s disappointment) the reason behind sprits being considered a therapeutic bevy is because alcohol tastes warm. Therefore, the higher the alcohol, the warmer the effect as it’s consumed, which is why it’s comforting to drink fortified wines after having braved the harsh elements.