5 Best Warm Cocktails For A Cold Winter’s Night

Like it or not, winter is in full swing across the Southern Hemisphere, and that means it’s peak season for warm drinks. We’re not just talking about heavy, spirit-forward tipples designed to warm your chest. We mean steaming, mug-hugging cocktails that cut through the seasonal chill.

There are countless drinks well-suited for winter, like the timeless Old Fashioned or flavourful Boulevardier, but there’s also a handful of warm cocktails every drinker needs in their seasonal repertoire. And the best part is you don’t need an advanced degree in mixology to mix, shake, or stir them up. Each one is simple to make at home with only a few ingredients and tools.

And sure, you could spend your winter drinking a classic Hot Toddy featuring blended (or single malt) Scotch whisky, but today we’re going to get a little more creative with our winter drinks. We’re talking about unique spirit combinations, fat-washing, and more. Let’s get adventurous this winter.

Hot vs Cold Cocktails: The Science Of Temperature

There’s actually a lot of science behind hot and cold cocktails. “Warm” refers to both the temperature a drink is served at, and the warming sensation caused by the alcohol itself, both of which can have a huge impact on a drink’s overall flavour profile. For example, even if you love the classic Margarita, you wouldn’t just throw one in the microwave on a blustery winter night.

Colder temperatures are known to dull your taste buds, which is why many cold cocktails feature bright citrus, sour or bitter notes, or overly sweet flavours. Those elements aren’t as noticeable when paired with whiskey, gin, or other spirits in a cold cocktail.

Hot cocktails, on the other hand, are often more spiced or have sharper flavours, because the heat intensifies them. Hot cocktails are meant to be soothing, warming, and were historically even touted for their purported medicinal qualities (and who are we to argue?)

Related: 12 Best 3-Ingredient Cocktails to Make at Home

5 Best Warming Winter Cocktails

There are, of course, a few classic winter warmers to choose from. There are warm (in temperature) drinks like the timeless Hot Toddy, Irish Coffee, Hot Buttered Rum, or Mulled Wine. There are also cold cocktails like the Old Fashioned, Old Pal, Boulevardier, Whiskey Sour, Moscow Mule, Sazerac, Manhattan, and Brandy Milk Punch, where the higher alcohol content will do some of the warming work for you.

But we’re not here for the classics, below are five creative, elevated versions of popular drinks that will taste so good you’ll want to host a winter get-together just to show off your mixology skills.

1. Brown Butter Fat-Washed Hot Buttered Rum

When it comes to winter cocktails, it’s difficult to beat the appeal of a classic Hot Buttered Rum. This timeless winter drink was created in the American colonies in the mid to late 1600s and has stood the test of time. And while the traditional version with spiced batter and spiced rum is all well and good, if you want to truly enjoy this decadent drink, you’ll make the brown butter fat-washed version this winter. But you can’t make this cocktail without making the buttered rum first.

Ingredients:

• 60 ml brown butter fat-washed dark rum
• 40ml butter batter
• Boiling water

How To Make Brown Butter Fat-Washed Dark Rum

1. Heat 40 grams of unsalted butter in a pan on medium heat until it melts and starts to turn caramel coloured.
2. Pour the brown butter into a mason jar with dark rum and seal.
3. Leave the jar out on your counter for 1-2 hours before putting it into your freezer for another 1-2 hours until the butter fat solidifies on top.
4. Break a hole in the butter and then pour the rum through a strainer into another mason jar or clean bottle.
5. Seal tightly, and it’s ready to be used.

Butter Batter Ingredients

• 125 grams softened, unsalted butter
• 125 grams brown sugar
• 5ml vanilla extract
• 5g ground cinnamon
• 1g allspice
• 1g grated nutmeg
• 1g salt

How To Make Brown Butter Fat-Washed Hot Buttered Rum:

1. Whip the softened butter and mixing in the brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, grated nutmeg, and salt. Mix it by hand or using a mixer (it will last for as long as a week in your refrigerator).
2. Once you have the batter, add the brown butter, fat-washed dark rum and butter to a mug.
3. Pour boiling water over the top and then stir to melt and combine.
4. Top with whipped cream and grated nutmeg, and it’s ready to be enjoyed.

2. Spiced Mulled Cider with Calvados

On a cold day, there are few things that better warm your bones than a steaming glass of boozy mulled cider. This traditional, large-batch winter drink can trace its origins back to medieval England. Featuring cider and spices, it’s a winter staple that’s not to be missed. But if you want to elevate it and add some alcohol, your best bet is Calvados, a French-made apple brandy.

Ingredients:

• 950 ml apple cider
• 40ml Calvados
• 1 sliced orange
• 1 sliced lemon
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 3 whole cloves

How to Make Spiced Mulled Cider with Calvados:

1. In a large pot, add the cider, orange slices, lemon slices, cinnamon sticks, and cloves.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the temperature down to simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Spoon the mixture (without any of the spices) into a mug and top with around 40ml of Calvados.
4. Stir gently to combine.
5. Garnish with an orange wheel.

3. Hot Gin Old Fashioned

The phrase “hot gin” mught sound like an oxymoron, but if you’re limiting yourself to the traditional Old Fashioned and not trying the Hot Gin Old Fashioned, you’re really missing out. The classic Old Fashioned is believed to have been created by whiskey pioneer James E. Pepper at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky in the 1880s. It’s not clear who created the hot gin version (although Hendrick’s has a recipe on its site), but this combination of gin, simple syrup, orange bitters, and hot water shouldn’t be missed this winter.

Ingredients:

• 90ml London dry gin
• 30ml simple syrup
• 2-3 dashes orange bitters
• 90 ml boiling water

How to Make a Hot Gin Old Fashioned

1. Add the London dry gin, simple syrup, and orange bitters to a warm mug.
2. Pour the boiling water over the top.
3. Stir gently to combine.
4. Garnish with an orange twist.

4. Brandy Milk Punch

If you didn’t know any better, you might assume that Brandy Milk Punch was a warm cocktail, but it’s not. While this drink has its roots in England in the 1600s, it was popularised in New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 1800s and was mentioned in Jerry Thomas’ 1862 bartender’s manual.

Ingredients:

• 60ml brandy
• 30ml milk
• 15ml heavy cream
• 1 tsp powdered sugar
• 1 dash vanilla extract
• Grated nutmeg

How to Make Brandy Milk Punch

1. In an ice-filled shaker, add the brandy, milk, heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and grated nutmeg.
2. Shake vigorously to chill and combine.
3. Strain into an ice-filled rocks or Old Fashioned glass.
4. Garnish with grated nutmeg.

5. Mezcal Hot Toddy

In the hierarchy of hot cocktails, the Hot Toddy reigns supreme. Most often made with a base of whisky (usually blended Scotch), this winter staple’s origins can be traced back to colonial India in the 1600s, but it was popular in Scotland and England in the 1700s and was even once prescribed by doctors to cure the common cold (and other maladies). While the whisky version is great, this winter we’re opting for an elevated, mezcal-based Hot Toddy.

Ingredients:

• 60ml mezcal
• 15ml of agave syrup
• 15ml fresh lemon juice
• Top with boiling water

How To Make A Mezcal Hot Toddy

1. Warm your mug by filling it with boiling water, letting it sit for half a minute, and dumping it down the drain.
2. Add the agave syrup, fresh lemon juice, and mezcal to the warm mug.
3. Top with hot water.
4. Garnish with a lemon wheel and cinnamon stick.

Warming Winter Cocktail FAQs

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