A recent reader e-mail requested information about restaurants and bars that offer winter specialty drinks, such as mulled wine or hot toddies.

As I began my research, I was a little disheartened. I couldn't think of a single menu I'd recently encountered featuring winter drinks. But I dug a little deeper and to my relief, I discovered that Pittsburgh restaurants offer plenty of options for winter warmers. These drinks make a wonderful change from a typical happy hour and are often great substitutes for dessert, and, as a former West Coaster, I can testify that warm drinks taste better when it's snowing outside.

Almost any bar or restaurant (so long as the restaurant has a liquor license) can make an Irish coffee (coffee with a splash or more of Irish whiskey), but there are a lot more options for delicious additions to coffee drinks. You could request a Private Eye Coffee (coffee with a shot of bourbon) though the nomenclature of that combination is less universally known. Amaretto, Kahlua and Sambuca are other popular additions that most bars will have on hand.

Looking for something a little more exciting? Willow in Ohio Township offers an impressive variety of specialty coffees. Consider an Italian Coffee ($6) made with Amaretto Disaronno and Tuaca. This drink is just as sophisticated as it sounds. Tuaca is an Italian liqueur flavored with vanilla and citrus. Amaretto Disaronno is a high-quality Italian liqueur flavored with herbs and fruits steeped in apricot kernel oil.

Apricot kernels, found by breaking open the pit of the apricot, have a taste and aroma similar to almonds but with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Sometimes called noyaux, they are occasionally used to make a remarkable summer ice cream.

I would probably request this subtle, sophisticated drink without whipped cream, but that is a matter of personal taste.

Craving something sweet to round out your meal? Willow Coffee ($6) is finished with a decadent mix of Bailey's Irish cream, frangelico and dark creme de cacao, topped with whipped cream.

The house coffee drink at Franklin Park's Stone Mansion is another triple threat: Amaretto, frangelico, Bailey's Irish cream and coffee, topped with whipped cream ($7). I'm also tempted by the sound of the Orange Kioki, made from Cointreau, Kahlua and coffee and the requisite whipped cream ($7). The Stone Mansion also has several fireplaces, including one in the bar area, which make winter dining and drinking even more cozy.

Dish on the South Side serves espresso corretto, espresso coffee "corrected" with a half shot of grappa ($5). They still are perfecting "Dish Haute Chocolate," cocoa topped with Godiva dark chocolate liqueur and real whipped cream, but it should be on the menu soon.

Most appealing to me is the hot toddy (made by special request) of Irish whiskey, hot water, honey, a clove-studded lemon and a cinnamon stick.

The bar at Nine on Nine, Downtown, doesn't have hot drinks on the menu, but it will make mulled wine and hot buttered rum on request.

I'm confident that there are plenty of other places that can make a variety of winter drinks on request. Some likely candidates are hotel bars and other well-stocked restaurant bars (these bars are more likely to have easy access to spices, extra ingredients and heating elements).

When requesting an off-the-menu drink that is fairly complicated (mulled wine vs. a Manhattan, for example) ask politely and don't assume that just because you had it there once the bartenders will necessarily make it for you. They may not always have the ingredients for special drinks, and if the bar is especially busy it is well within their rights to refuse special requests.

You may also want to ask the price when you order, so you're not surprised when you get the bill. Finally, consider increasing your usual tip. An extra effort on the part of the bartender should be rewarded with more than a thank you (though that's always a nice touch as well).

Willow, Ohio Township, 412-847-1007; Stone Mansion, Franklin Park, 724-934-3000; Dish, South Side, 412-390-2012; Nine on Nine, Downtown, 412-338-6463.