Dashboard
Refer a Friend
Personal Info
Order History
Addresses
Guest Blog by Adam Edwards
Elijah stands in the doorway of his camper van making coffee with his Stanley Pour Over. We’ve spent the last two days snowboarding on Mt. Hood in Oregon. Following each other down through the trees. Stopping for nips from our hip flasks and the vacuum bottle full of hot toddy, whenever we felt the need to warm up and laugh a bit. Now we’re packing up to head to the coast, where we hope to catch some winter waves.
Kenny comes around the front of the van. He waits as Elijah pours a steaming beverage into his Stanley Camp Mug from the vacuum bottle on the counter. Kenny takes a big sip and his face screws up in surprise.
“Hot toddy?” I ask, bemused.
“Hot toddy,” he says, laughing.
The toddy strikes again. The past two days, it’s been a close friend on the long rides down Timberline Lodge’s runs. Sneaking warm moments in the trees and laughing about lines.
Leaving the cold, dry terrain of Mt. Hood, we drive back through the Willamette Valley. We follow the snow and rain out of the hills and towards the coast. A winter storm is hammering our destination of Newport, Oregon. Rain comes down in a steady drone and the ocean tides crash against the jetties.
We gear up and walk to the beach, hearing the thunderous waves before we can see them. We reach the top of the dune and see chaos. It reminds me of all the times I went to the beach as a child but couldn't get in the water because I was too small. We are specks of sand compared to the rip currents and chaotic wedges of water.
We knew this outcome was likely, but it doesn't stave off our disappointment. Suddenly, the familiar sound of air escaping cuts through the roar of the ocean. I look over at Kenny, who has opened his Stanley vacuum bottle.
“Toddy?” he offers.
Laughing, I reach out to take the drink. We turn and walk back to the vans. The camp mug is still warm from my friend's hand and the hot toddy soothes my angst about not paddling out.
We make dinner and enjoy the storm from the comfort of Elijah’s heated rig. Soon enough, the smells of food and drink fill the small space, and we open the van’s door to watch the storm vent itself. There’ll be other days.
ADAM’S CAMPING HOT TODDY RECIPE
Ingredients:
1½ sachets Gold Kili Instant Ginger Herbal Tea Drink
8 oz hot water
1 oz bourbon, your choice
Instructions:
- Pour ginger drink crystals into your camp mug.
- Holding the camp mug at a slight angle, add hot water from your vacuum bottle, stopping when the water is two fingers below the rim of the mug. (Try to pour the water over the crystals so they dissolve without stirring.)
- Add bourbon from your hip flask.
- Place the lid on your camp mug and enjoy.
Adam Edwards is an arborist, writer and avid outdoorsman based in Portland, Oregon.
Back to MY STANLEY
