Winter Cocktail Recipes To Try At Home
As it starts to get colder, the best way to stay warm indoors is with a delicious drink. Whether you like yours with bourbon, rum, tequila — or even with candy canes as a garnish — these cocktails are guaranteed to keep you toasty this winter. Here’s a selection of our favorite cold weather libations.
Sweater Weather Punch (Created by Laurie Harvey, Ladies of Libation Houston, TX)
6 star anise pods
24 cranberries
6 oz. Deep Eddy Cranberry Vodka
8 oz. Shaker & Spoon sweater weather shrub (Spiced Vanilla Cran-Apple Shrub)
8 oz. cranberry juice
10 dashes Angostura orange bitters
8 oz. dry sparkling wine
Method:
1. In advance, create 4–6 seasonal ice cubes by filling each large- format ice mold with 1 star anise pod, about 4 cranberries, and filtered water, and then freezing.
2. Add all the liquid ingredients to a small punch bowl or pitcher (slowly pouring the sparkling wine in last, to preserve the bubbles).
3. Add the seasonal ice cubes and stir a few times to chill.
4. Serve the punch into separate glasses, with one cube per glass.
Amarillo by Morning
1 ½ oz. Deep Eddy Cranberry Vodka
½ oz. lemon juice
½ oz. Punt e Mes
1/2 oz. honey syrup
Cachaça Egg Nog (Created by Multnomah Whiskey Portland, OR)
12 eggs
1 1/3 cups superfine sugar and 3 tablespoons on the side
1 pint heavy cream
1 quart whole milk
1 750ml bottle of Novo Fogo Barrel Aged Cachaça
1 tbsp real vanilla extract
Method: Separate the egg whites from the yolks into separate large bowls. Slowly add the sugar in a fine stream to the egg yolks while whisking vigorously until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Then slowly whisk in the heavy cream, whole milk, and vanilla extract to the yolk-sugar mixture. In the other bowl, add 1 tablespoon of sugar to the egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form and the egg whites take up about five times their original volume.
Fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk and cream mixture.
Pour the entire mixture into a large jug using a funnel, then pour in a bottle of Novo Fogo Barrel-Aged Cachaça. Screw the cap onto the jug and give it a hearty shake to combine. Refrigerate and serve with a fine dusting of freshly grated nutmeg on top.
Rekorderlig’s Cosy Spiced Pear Cocktail a.k.a “The Cosy”
Ingredients:
- 30ml spiced rum
- 1.5 tsp of pear puree
- 150ml of Rekorderlig Spiced Apple Cider
- Dash of bitters
- 1 egg white
Method:
Mix all of the ingredients except the cider together. Gently heat the cider and pour into the mixed ingredients. Gently stir and pour into an insulated glass. Garnish with a slice of pear.
Trademark Taste + Grind’s Baby it’s Cold Out Cider
Ingredients:
- Brugal Rum
- House Cider
- Fall Spices
Method:
Combine all ingredients, stir, garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Fernet and Stormy (Created by Kiley Lazarus, KING’S HARDWARE in Seattle, WA)
2 oz. Fernet-Branca
1 Lime
1 oz. House Ginger Beer
3 of a Kind (Eli and Julie at Foreign National using Chocolate Bitters)
1 oz. Armagnac
1 oz. Maurin Quina
3/4 oz. Plum Manzanilla Sherry
1 bar spoon Benedictine
1 dash Saline
3 dashes Scrappy’s Chocolate Bitters
Method: Stir and strain into a Nick & Nora glass, then garnish with a dried & lightly salted Japanese plum.
Mi CAMPO Don Coco
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ oz Tequila Mi CAMPO Reposado
- 1 oz Cocoa Liqueur
- 1 oz Coconut Liqueur
INSTRUCTIONS
Measure and pour ingredients into a mixing glass, add ice and stir gently. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with a speared piece of amaranth.
Kim Crawford Spiced Moon Martini
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz Kim Crawford Pinot Noir
- 1 oz aged rum
- ¾ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ oz Spiced Honey Syrup, warm (See instructions)
- ½ oz egg white
- Freshly grated cinnamon for garnish
- SPICED HONEY SYRUP
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup honey
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- Peel from half of orange
- 6 cloves
- Notice: The consumption of raw or undercooked eggs may increase your risk of food borne illness.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all ingredients except cinnamon to a cocktail tin and shake until you feel the mixture foaming. Add ice to the tin and shake hard for 10–15 seconds. Double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass, sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve.
- SPICED HONEY SYRUP
- Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until warm and fragrant. (Avoid overcooking, as the syrup should not reduce and thicken.) Remove from heat; strain and discard solids. The syrup can be refrigerated for up to two weeks. However, it should be gently rewarmed to create the cocktail.
RUFFINO Pomegranate Pop
INGREDIENTS
- 2 parts Ruffino Moscato d’Asti
- 1½ parts pomegranate juice
- 1 part dry vermouth
- 1 part soda water
- Pomegranate seeds
- Rosemary sprig
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour ingredients into a rocks glass with ice. Lightly stir. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and a sprig of rosemary.
SVEDKA Greenhouse Mary
INGREDIENTS
- 2 parts SVEDKA Cucumber Lime
- 2 parts Bloody Mary Mix*
- 1 part Pickle Brine
- 1/4 part fresh lime juice
- *2 quarts tomato juice, chilled
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Build ingredients in a pint glass filled with ice, and “roll” from one glass to another, until cold and mixed. Garnish with a pickle, olive and cocktail onion.
Casa Noble In Noble Fashion
INGREDIENTS
- 1.5 oz Casa Noble Reposado Tequila
- 0.5 oz ancho chili liqueur
- 0.25 oz simple syrup
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- 2 drops molé bitters
- Orange peel
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all ingredients, except orange peel, into mixing glass and stir.
Strain into glass over ice.
Squeeze orange peel; rub around rim and drop into glass.
Hot Cross
6 parts D’USSÉ® VSOP Cognac
4 parts Licor 43®
1½ parts white crème de cacao
3 parts cinnamon cayenne syrup
6 parts heavy cream
3 egg yolks
SERVE: Combine egg yolks, cream and syrup in milk jug. Steam until warm. Add liquor and continue to steam until hot, but not boiling. Drink should reach a custard-like consistency.
GARNISH: Grated nutmeg
Cinnamon-cayenne syrup: Combine 2 cups of water with 2 cups of sugar and bring to a boil. Add 8 cinnamon sticks and 1 tsp of cayenne pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool. Strain and store in the refrigerator for 14 days.
Proper Irish Coffee
Ingredients
2 oz Proper No. Twelve Whiskey
4 oz hot coffee
.75 oz simple syrup
2–3 oz heavy cream
Directions
In a shaker or jar, shake or whip heavy cream until slightly thickened (not completely stiff)
In a mug, add Proper No. Twelve Whiskey, hot coffee, and simple syrup
Stir
Carefully layer on top the thickened heavy cream until it covers the drink
Optional grating of nutmeg on top
The Chandon Fizz
3 oz. Chandon California
1 oz. elderflower liqueur
Garnish: Orange twist
Glass: Coupe glass
Method: Add elderflower liqueur to the glassware and slowly pour in Chandon at an angle. Garnish with an orange twist.
Negroni Sbagliato
3 oz. Chandon California
1 oz. Italian aperitif bitter
1 oz. Italian Sweet Vermouth
Garnish: Orange slice
Glass: Coupe glass
Method: Shake all ingredients in a shaker tin except for Chandon. Strain into glassware and top with Chandon. Garnish with orange slice.
Sparkling Cosmo
3 oz. Chandon California
1 oz. Belvedere Vodka
0.5 oz. lime juice
0.5 oz. triple sec
0.75 oz. cranberry juice
Garnish: Lemon wheel
Glass: Wine glass
Method: Shake all ingredients except Chandon in a shaker tin. Strain into glassware and top with Chandon. Garnish with lemon wheel.
Chandon POM Spritz
3 oz. Chandon California
1 oz. Belvedere Vodka
0.75 oz. lemon juice
0.5 oz. simple syrup
0.75 oz. pomegranate juice (freshly squeezed)
Garnish: Pomegranate pearls and rosemary sprig
Glass: Wine glass
Method: Shake all ingredients except Chandon in a shaker tin. Strain into glassware with ice and top with Chandon. Stir the glass. Garnish with pomegranate pearls and rosemary sprig.
Adult Hot Chocolate
1 oz. Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur
1 1/2 oz. Cognac
1/2 oz. Crème de Cacao
2 oz. milk
Pinch dark powdered chocolate
Method: Warm the milk and chocolate powder then add all ingredients to a mug and stir. Top with whip cream and chocolate syrup.
Crème de Vie (Cuban Egg Nog)
Ingredients:
- 4 parts HAVANA CLUB Añejo Blanco rum
- 8 parts sweetened condensed milk
- 8 parts evaporated milk
- 16 parts sugar
- 8 parts water
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla
Method: Mix the sugar and water together over very low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves — about 3 minutes. The heat must be just low enough so that the sugar doesn’t caramelize, but yields a thick sugary water. Place the egg yolks in a blender and mix with the condensed milk. Slowly add the evaporated milk and mix completely. Flavor with vanilla. Pour the egg yolk and milk mixture into the sugar-water, and mix together. Finally, stir in the rum
1934
Ingredients:
- 2 parts HAVANA CLUB Añejo Clásico rum
- ¾ parts MARTINI & ROSSI sweet vermouth
- ½ part Amaro
- 2 dashes orange bitters
Method: Stir all ingredients vigorously with plenty ice until very cold, strain into a rocks glass with an ice sphere. Garnish with an orange peel.
The Honeypot
Created by Erik Delanoy, The Wilson
2.0 oz The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old
3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Murray’s Chestnut Honey
1 Dash Angostura Bitters
Method: Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker, add ice, shake until chilled, strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
NOLET’S Silver Pink Peppercorn Rosé Spritz
Ingredients
12 oz. NOLET’S Silver Gin
24 oz. Rosé 12 oz.
White Grape Juice 4 oz.
Cranberry or Cherry Liqueur 3 oz.
Pink Peppercorn Syrup*
Club Soda to Top Off
Sugared Fresh Cranberries
Cranberry with Rosemary Ice Cubes
PINK PEPPERCORN
SYRUP 1/2 c.
Sugar 1/2 c.
Water 2 Tbsp.
Pink Peppercorns
Method: Simmer all ingredients, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves and peppercorns begin to break down. Cool and strain into a storage container.
Method: For the cocktail, combine all ingredients except the club soda. Stir in a pitcher, then pour over ice and top with club soda. Garnish with sugared cranberries.
After Midnight
Recipe:
- 30 mL Don Papa Rum
- 45 mL cold brew with chickory
- 15 mL condensed milk
- 15 mL kuromitsu (Japanese molasses)
Method: Combine all ingredients into a shaker with ice, shake vigorously, and strain into a rocks glass rimmed with Oreo cookie crumbs and Cafe Bustelo instant espresso.
LOST IN THE FOREST
Recipe:
- 1 3/4 oz. Don Papa Rum
- 1/3 oz. Dark cherry compote
- 1/3 oz. Crème de cacao
- 3 dashes of pine bitters
- Grate of dark chocolate
- One Don Papa soaked cherry
Method: Combine all ingredients into a shaker, stir & strain!
DON TODDY
Recipe:
- 1 ¾ oz. Don Papa Rum
- 3/4 oz. Lemon
- 1 ¾ oz. Boiling Water
- 1 oz. Cinnamon and Ginger Honey
Garnish: Lemon wheel, cinnamon sticks
Method: Combine all ingredients into glass and stir. Serve while hot.
Cocoa Caliente (Serves 4)
Created by Cecelia Steffensen and Pamela Wiznitzer and available at the Henry at the Life Hotel in NYC
4.5 oz Patrón Silver (use the 2018 Limited Edition Patrón Silver Tequila 1 Liter bottle)
1/2 gallon Heavy Cream
1/2 gallon Whole Milk
2 Cinnamon Sticks
2 whole pieces Allspice
0.5 grams Cardamom
5 grams Cornstarch
200 grams Chocolate Nyangbo (about 7 ounces)
Method:
Toast all the spices in a pot, then add to the milk and heavy cream and let it rest overnight.
The next day, put everything in a pot add the cornstarch, bring it to a boil while continually whisking. Strain + pour the mix over the chocolate.
Pour Patrón Silver in mug and top with spiced chocolate mix. Top with Patrón-infused marshmallow.
Hot Buttered Boulevardier
Created by Kate Bolton, Silver Julep, Portland
1½ oz. Russell’s Reserve 10-Year-Old Bourbon
¾ oz. Campari
¾ oz.. Cinzano 1757 Vermouth
1 Tbsp. Maple Butter*
1 dash Vanilla Extract
3 oz. boiling water
Method: In a footed glass or mug add Russell’s Reserve, Campari, sweet vermouth, maple butter and vanilla. Pour hot water on top and stir briskly until butter is dissolved and well integrated. Garnish with a clover-studded half orange wheel and a star anise pod
*Maple Butter:
½ lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter
5 Tbsp Maple Syrup
½ tsp. salt
Using a robot coup or Vitamix whip all ingredients until smooth.
Old World Toddy
Created by Willy Shine, Brand Meister
1 part Jägermeister
1/2 part Lemon juice
1/2 part Spiced pomegranate honey*
2 part Fresh apple cider
1 part Jamaican Aged Rum (Appleton Reserve)
1 part water
Glass: Decorative footed mug
Garnish: Whole Cloves in an orange peel
Method: Combine and batch all the ingredients & heat up over stove.
- Steep, clove, fresh ginger pieces & cracked cinnamon sticks in POM like making a tea. Bring to boil and let sit to chill. Fine strain the liquid and add equal parts honey. Keep refrigerated.
Dusk to Dawn
Stella Rosa Black
2 oz. gin of choice
¾ oz. honey
¾ fresh lime juice
Splash of club soda
Method: Add all ingredients to your shaker. Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Pioneer Old Fashioned by David Powell
2 parts Hudson Baby Bourbon
1 tsp Demerara simple syrup
3–4 dashes aromatic bitters
Orange twist
Add the simple syrup, bitters, then Baby Bourbon to a mixing glass and stir well to combine and chill. Strain into Double Old Fashioned glass over ice. Garnish with orange twist.
Monkey Shoulder Lazy Old Fashioned by Vance Henderson
1 part Monkey Shoulder Whisky
2 tsp simple syrup
2 dashes angostura bitters
Orange zest
Add Monkey Shoulder, simpler syrup, Angostura bitters and orange zest to a mixing glass, then add cold, dry ice and stir. Once dilution is reached, strain into glass over fresh ice and garnish with a twist orange peel over glass.
Frapincino
1.3oz Cognac Frapin VSOP
.5 oz Pedro Ximenez sherry
.75 oz Lemon Juice
35ml Egg Whites
1 tsp Gomme Syrup
Cane sugar to garnish
Put all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker. This cocktail is prepared using a ‘dry-wet-dry’ shake. Shake to emulsify eggs, add ice then shake again, hard to break up the ice which creates a larger surface area and helps chill the drink. Strain to remove ice and shake again using a rolling motion. Serve in a large coupe glass, sprinkle with demerara sugar.
High on Rye (Created by Niall McCourt at Mandarin Hide)
1.5 oz. Slow and Low
0.5 oz. Port Wine
3 Dashes Chocolate Walnut Bitters
Top with splash Ginger Beer
Roll, Rocks, Orange Peel Garnish