Warm up your weekend with these 3 spiced drinks from the flavor gurus at Spicewalla

If you like to cook, you might want to familiarize yourself with Spicewalla.

The chef-driven company imports, roasts and hand-packages premium spices, offering such a rich array of products it will tempt you to stockpile new ones. 

Oprah's even a fan, with Spicewalla's "Kitchen Essentials Kit" earning a coveted place on her Favorite Things 2019 list, an honor that forced the makers to buy every tin in the United States.

Arguably, the most famous gift-giver in the world would not lead you astray.

Spicewalla's coriander and cumin are uncommonly fragrant. The spice blends, including the versatile Buxton Chicken Rub, have the power to elevate your food. The tangy Modena Balsamic Rub, for example, lends flavor to your chicken without adding moisture, which means you can have a marinated flavor and crispy skin all at once. 

Spices can also lend flavor to cocktails. Here, the spice gurus at Spicewalla have provided three flavorful cocktail recipes to help you warm up your weekend. 

Nora Chili and Mole Margarita

Orange and chocolate go together like peanut butter and jelly, and this Margarita recipe is like the PB&J of Margs. The warm vanilla notes of reposado tequila accentuate the flavors of zesty orange, chocolatey mole and sweet heat from Nora Chilli Flakes. A sidecar of dry curacao adds an additional layer of orange flavor that takes this recipe to new levels. 

Recipe by D Lanzet and Lexy Rae

Ingredients

2 ounces reposado tequila

1 ounce fresh lime juice

1/2 ounce fresh orange juice

1/2 ounce Cointreau

1 full dropper of Bittermen's Mole Bitters

1 teaspoon of Nora Chilli Flakes

Sidecar of Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao

Instructions

Add all ingredients except for Curacao to a shaker tin and fill with ice.

Shake vigorously, then strain over fresh ice into a collins or rocks glass.

Garnish with an orange twist, and serve with a sidecar of Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao.

Taste and adjust sweetness if necessary by adding a touch of agave. Sip your marg and your sidecar side by side, or float it on top.

Spiced Irish coffee 

This version of Irish coffee has warming spices. It's perfect on a chilly night, or even as a brunch drink.

Recipe by Lexy Durst.

Ingredients

2 ounces Irish Whiskey

3/4 ounces rich demerara syrup (recipe follows)

5 ounces hot coffee

1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder

Cinnamon sticks for garnish

For the whipped cream

1 cup of heavy whipping cream

2 individual bottles of Underberg

1 teaspoon of green cardamom powder

For the demerara syrup:

1 part boiling water

2 parts demerara sugar

Stir to dissolve.

Instructions

Start by making your whipped cream (we'd hate to have your coffee go cold!). Combine 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with 2 bottles of Underberg and a teaspoon of green cardamom powder. Whip cream lightly until soft peaks form, but don't overwhip it.

Add whiskey and demerara syrup to a pre-warmed mug; fill mug with hot water first; it will keep your drink warmer longer. Pour hot coffee into mug, and stir well to combine your ingredients.

Use the back of a spoon to slowly layer your lightly-whipped Underberg cardamom cream on top, being careful not to break the coffee layer. Grate or sprinkle cinnamon right on top, add a cinnamon stick and voila! You've just made the greatest Irish Coffee of all time.

Mango Chilli Lime Colada

If you like Piña Coladas you'll love this creamy and spicy-sweet drink. It features mango juice, cream of coconut, aged light rum and Spicewalla's Chilli Lime blend. Whip up one to stave off the cold-weather blues. 

Recipe by Lexy Durst.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsweetened mango juice

1/2 cup frozen mango chunks

2 ounces Coco Lopez

1 ounce fresh lime juice

1 dash of Angostura bitters

1/2 cup of ice (pebble or crushed ice is best)

2 ounces aged light rum, optional

Spicewalla Chilli Lime for garnish

Instructions

Add all ingredients except for the Chilli Lime to a blender, adding the ice last.

Blend well until your colada is smooth and creamy, adding more ice if necessary. Look for a smoothie consistency.

Pour into a glass and garnish with a hefty pinch of Chilli Lime on top. Take a sip, close your eyes and pretend you're on a warm tropical island.

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Mackensy Lunsford covers food policy, restaurants, agriculture and other food-related topics for the USA TODAY Network's South Region. She's the editor of Southern Kitchen and correspondent for The American South. Sign up for my newsletter here.

Reach me: mlunsford@southernkitchen.com