The cold days of winter come with their own pleasures: afternoon walks in the crisp air under a low sun; gathering berries from hedgerows; listening to your footsteps on hoar-frosted grass and deep in winter, enjoying the snow. Coming in from the cold after outdoor pursuits like these calls for the welcome of a glass of something hot, and preferably alcoholic. Sitting in front of a blazing fire, making toast on toasting forks and drinking a glass of mulled wine, is the stuff our winter traditions are made of.

A traditional mulled wine recipe, reputedly Dr. Johnson's favourite, is made like this. Take a bottle of decent claret and pour it into a stainless steel pot. Add one thinly sliced orange, 12 sugar cubes and 6 cloves. Bring it nearly to the boil and then stir in 1 pint of boiling water, a quarter pint of orange curacao and a quarter pint of brandy. Take it off the heat and warm a punch bowl by washing it in very hot water. Pour in the punch and serve it in wine glasses with a pinch of grated nutmeg in each.

To make a simpler variation, often known as Gluhwein, put a litre of red wine into a pot with 4 slices of lemon, each studded with two cloves. Add 3 cinnamon sticks and 4 tablespoons of caster sugar and stir it over a moderate heat with a wooden spoon until almost boiling. Strain off the gluhwein and serve it in mugs.

Another traditional hot winter drink is Hot Buttered Rum. To make one drink, rinse a mug in hot water and shake it dry. Put in one and a quarter teaspoons of caster sugar, one inch of cinnamon stick (or a pinch of ground cinnamon), a measure of rum and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour in hot milk, add half an ounce of butter, stir well and top off with a sprinkle of ground nutmeg.

Sir Roger de Coverley gave his name not only to a dance, but also to this hot drink. Take a bottle of red wine, a glass of port, a small measure of orange curacao, a flat teaspoonful of ground cinnamon, 6 cloves and a sprinkle of grated nutmeg. Bring it all to simmering point, stirring all the while. Strain it and serve it in warmed wine glasses. No one needs a recipe for an Irish coffee or a hot whiskey, but when it comes to thawing out both are hard to beat. With all these delights available to the kitchen alchemist, you can bring a warm glow to those hard winter days.