We’d take a cup of tea and a fire in the belly any day.
Coffee, mulled wine, mulled cider, mulled milk(?)…yep we’re down with all of the hot drinks but it seems there is a real reason why holding a steaming mug of chocolate or cradling a tumbler of smokey whiskey will leave you feeling kindly to those in your company.
Studies have shown that there is a psychological element to choosing hot drinks. They can actually make us feel nicer and cosier and more generous.
In an experiment reported in The Guardian people were asked to rate strangers on how trustworthy they were and holding a cup of hot coffee made the participants rate the strangers more favourably, while holding a cold drink had the opposite effect.
The same principle applies with sweetness. People who have eaten something sugary are more likely to describe a stranger positively.
So perhaps festive mulled wine and squishy cookies are the perfect combination for a festive date?
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
