Sometimes, a little bit of booze is exactly what you need to warm up during these winter months! These winter cocktails are perfect for the cold.
Sure, you can enjoy a cocktail anytime, but there's something special about a good winter cocktail full of all sorts of seasonal flavors! Whether you're updating an old classic with a new liquor or adding some deeper flavors with different spices, there are lots of ways to enjoy a delicious winter cocktail! We collected some of our favorite recipes to share with you, so you can stay warm all winter long!
Dirty Snowmen
Prep Time: 5 minutes
[caption id="attachment_31436" align="aligncenter" width="397"]
Photo courtesy of Delish[/caption]
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup melted chocolate, for rim
- 1/2 cup chocolate shavings
- 1/2 pint vanilla ice cream
- 2 cups hot chocolate
- 1/2 cup Baileys
- Garnish: whipped cream
To Make:
- Pour melted chocolate and chocolate shavings into separate shallow dishes. Dip the rims of two mugs in melted chocolate, then immediately dip in chocolate shavings.
- Using a medium scoop, add a few scoops of ice cream to each mug. Pour hot chocolate and Baileys on top.
- Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with leftover chocolate shavings.
Honey Bourbon Winter Cocktail
Prep Time: ~10 minutes
[caption id="attachment_31437" align="aligncenter" width="426"]
Photo courtesy of One Broad's Journey[/caption]
Syrup Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup honey
- 10-12 fresh sage leaves
Cocktail Ingredients:
- 2 oz bourbon
- 1 orange peel
- 3 tbsp honey sage syrup
- Garnish: 1 fresh sage leaf
To Make:
- Bring the water, honey and sage to a boil in a pot over medium high heat. Reduce to low and simmer for ~3 minutes. Turn off heat and let syrup cool.
- Fill an Old Fashioned glass with ice. Pour bourbon and cooled syrup over ice.
- Twist the orange peel directly over the glass until you see the oils release. Place in glass with bourbon and garnish with sage leaf.
Foggy Dew
Prep Time: 1-2 minutes
[caption id="attachment_31438" align="aligncenter" width="468"]
Photo courtesy of Food & Wine[/caption]
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Irish Whiskey
- 1 oz Jamaican rum
- 1 oz sherry
- 1.5 oz chilled half-and-half
- 1/2 oz vanilla simple syrup
- 1 large egg
- Ice
- Garnish: pinch of nutmeg
To Make:
- In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients except ice and garnish and shake vigorously.
- Fill shaker with ice and shake again.
- Strain into a chilled mug and garnish with the nutmeg
Hot Buttered Lemon
Prep Time: ~5 minutes
[caption id="attachment_31439" align="aligncenter" width="476"]
Photo courtesy of Food & Wine[/caption]
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 oz fresh lemon juice
- 2 oz hot water
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- 1 orange wedge
- 1 lemon wheel
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Pinch of cinnamon
To Make:
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter in the lemon juice over moderate heat.
- Add the hot water, simple syrup, orange wedge, lemon wheel, nutmeg and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until cloudy and hot.
- Pour into a small mug and serve.
Gingerbread Eggnog White Russian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
[caption id="attachment_31440" align="aligncenter" width="520"]
Photo courtesy of Delish[/caption]
Ingredients:
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon for rimming glasses
- 2 tsp sugar for rimming glasses
- 4 oz eggnog
- 4 oz vodka
- 4 oz Kahlua
- 3 tsp molasses
- 1/8 tsp ginger
- Garnish: whipped cream and molasses
To Make:
- Mix cinnamon and sugar, then pour onto a plate. Wet rims of glasses and dip them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour eggnog , vodka, Kahlua, molasses, and ginger. Shake to combine.
- Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream, then add a light drizzle of molasses.
Apple-Brandy Hot Toddies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
[caption id="attachment_31441" align="aligncenter" width="451"]
Photo courtesy of Food & Wine[/caption]
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups water
- 2 tbsp plus 2 tsp honey
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups apple brandy
- Garnish: eight 3-inch cinnamon sticks
To Make:
- In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the honey until dissolved.
- Stir in the lemon juice and apple brandy.
- Place a cinnamon stick in each mug or heatproof glasses, pour in the hot liquid and serve.
Holiday Spiced Mulled Wine
Prep Time: 35 minutes
[caption id="attachment_31442" align="aligncenter" width="462"]
Photo courtesy of The Cookie Rookie[/caption]
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1/4 cup honey or agave nectar
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1/2 cup Grand Marnier
- 1 orange, sliced
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- Garnish: Star anise, oranges, lemons, and cinnamon sticks
To Make:
- Combine wine, honey, cider, orange liqueur, sliced fruit, cloves and cinnamon sticks in a sauce pan and heat to medium-high.
- Once simmering, reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for ~30 minutes.
- Strain and garnish, then serve.
Traditional Irish Coffee
Prep Time: 7 minutes
[caption id="attachment_31444" align="aligncenter" width="527"]
Photo courtesy of The Spruce[/caption]
Ingredients:
- 4 oz strong, hot coffee
- 1.5 oz Irish whiskey
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 oz lightly whipped double cream
To Make:
- Add sugar and coffee into mug or heatproof glass, and stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Add Irish whiskey and stir again.
- Float the cream on top by pouring it over the back of a spoon. Do not stir in the cream; rather, drink the coffee through the cream.
We hope these winter cocktail recipes keep you warm until spring! What's your favorite winter cocktail to enjoy on a snowy day? Tell us about it in the comments!
