Editor’s Note: The holiday issue of Edible Manhattan is just hitting streets as we speak, and in it we include the wonderful recipe for the Winter Warmer from William Ward, the Beverage Director at Marble Lane at Dream Downtown Hotel. A blend of rye, heated milk, Calvados and maple syrup, it’s a perfect hot drink for chilly city afternoons and even chillier evenings, a little like a session eggnog, to borrow the term for easy-drinking from the beer geeks. Better still, the cocktail was inspired by Ward’s family tradition to tap sap on his brother’s New Hampshire land each year. What follows is his own report of the experience, and his cocktail inspiration. You can also read our story, and get his recipe, right here.