The aroma of warm, comforting, homemade beverages accompany their creators as they look for a new kind of beverage to sip on.

Whether it be chai, coffee, or cider, US Math teacher Nicole Koenig is embracing cold weather and using it as an opportunity to craft some hot beverages.

For Koenig, chai tea is a family tradition passed down through generations. Her family’s recipe mixes a medley of spices from black peppercorns, cloves, and cardamom pods, to vanilla beans.

“We mostly make it during the winter months because it’s so cold,” she said. “It doesn’t take too long… about an hour or a little more to boil and maybe ten minutes to cut up ginger.”

After making it, Koenig recommends enjoying it with a good book in hand.

“If I have time, I sip on it while reading,” she said.

For junior Alba Markowitz-Mulet, her cup is more than just a morning energizer. She often heads to Starbucks for a cappuccino or a shaken espresso with cold foam, a must-have finishing touch.

“I don’t like how much they charge for cold foam, so a lot of the time, I’ll just make a drink at home,” she said.

When crafting her home brews, she will replicate Starbucks cold foam using “some heavy cream and putting some cinnamon and cocoa powder on the top,” which Markowitz-Mulet likes to enjoy summer mornings on her back porch.

“Me and my carpool make lots of stops to get warm beverages at Starbucks, but someday maybe I’ll make some of my homemade drinks for us to have on our way to school,” she said.

Junior David Schumacher likes to warm up in the winter with a cup of hot cider.

“I like to make cider, but I don’t always follow the same recipe,” he said. “I [sometimes] add cinnamon, cloves, and brown sugar.”

Some even choose to put oranges in the drink for a burst of citrus, but Schumacher sticks to a more classic cinnamon and apple flavor combination.

“One thing I do like to add that is a little bit out of the normal is nutmeg,” he said.

Whether warming in winter or chilling in the summer, students and teachers alike craft brews with family and friends. While these specialty drinks may require some extra ingredients, Koenig offers some advice: “Try making it; it takes some effort but it’s well worth it at the end of the day.”