It’s such a boon that Mandarin oranges arrive just in time for our Minnesota winters. Is there anything more delightful or refreshing than a bright, sunny Mandarin on a gray, bitterly cold day? Here at Lunds & Byerlys, we’re all obsessed with the Peelz Mandarins. As the name suggests, the peel pretty much falls off the fruit — and they’re so intensely juicy and flavorful that, even though they’re a little bigger than a Cutie, it’s still easy to put down six of ‘em in a sitting.

Peelz are also seedless, which makes them fun to work into recipes, like salads, desserts, and yes, cocktails. Here we’ve muddled them up with ginger, rye whiskey and brandied cherries to create a wintry redux of the Old-Fashioned. The Mandarins give the drink a wonderful tangy sweetness — you can skip the sugar cube. And we love how the spicy ginger keeps things from getting too sweet and draws out all the rye’s heat.

This is the perfect cocktail to get you through the dog days of February. It’s kind of juicy, so it makes a refreshing antidote to our dry winter air, and it’s just the kind of warming cocktail you want after a long bout of skijoring Theodore Wirth Park, ski-gliding Lake Minnetonka … or just shoveling the snow off your front walk.

Adapted from: Gastronom