Food & Drink
13 Winter Cocktails to Warm You Up This Season
Warm up from the inside with winter cocktails that range from unconventional hot toddies to colorful Instagram-worthy drinks
December 11, 2020
When the weather outside is frightful—or, if you live in the South, chilly enough for some tights and a cute li’l beanie—it’s time to warm up from the inside with winter cocktails. We rounded up a list of some of the best winter drinks, from classic spiked ’nogs perfect for the holidays to tropical tiki drinks perfect for when you’re deep into January dreaming of a beach getaway. Don’t forget, you can get the alcohol and many of the ingredients for these winter cocktail recipes delivered directly to your door from Gopuff if you’re 21+.
1. Homemade Spiked Eggnog
Source: The Kitchn
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes, including time to chill
If you’re interested in traditional winter alcoholic drinks, may we present this homemade spiked eggnog. Homemade eggnog is nothing like store-bought eggnog, which often has a powdery sweet taste, artificial spice flavor and thin texture. Homemade eggnog is sugary, creamy and thicker than the thighs of a chonky baby. It’s also made with real eggs. That’s why it’s key to add the booze, which acts as both a sterilizer and fun-enhancer.
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2. B2C2
Source: Esquire
Prep time: 3 minutes
Total time: 3 minutes
If you follow the original 1940s recipe, you would top off your B2C2 (Brandy and Bénédictine + Cointreau and champagne) with room-temperature champagne. Legend has it, the B2C2 was created in France during World War II when American military liberated a stash of French liquor left by the retreating Germans.
They mixed several kinds of room-temperature libations together to form this highly potent cocktail, which works well for New Year’s Eve in present times. We recommend using chilled champagne nowadays, but room-temp will do in a pinch.
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Bénédictine liqueur
3. Sugar Cookie Martini
Source: Delish
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes, including time to bake the cookie for the rim
Just a head’s up: This drink is bonkers. There is an actual cookie and frosting with sprinkles on the rim. So obviously, it’s delicious. Just don’t forget to leave one out for Santa.
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4. Hot Ginger Toddy
Source: The Spruce Eats
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Our absolute favorite winter cocktails are warm alcoholic drinks that heat you all the way down to your toes, and this hot toddy does just that. We love the spin on a traditional toddy, as the ginger liqueur adds an additional warming note. The drink is especially great if you have a sore throat and want something that actually tastes good to soothe it (sorry, garlic tea).
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Ginger liqueur
Honey
Lemon juice
5. Winter Paloma
Source: VinePair
Prep time: 3 minutes
Total time: 3 minutes
This version of a classic Paloma subs in cranberry and pomegranate juice for grapefruit juice. The result is a tart, red-hued cocktail that is very on-brand for the winter holidays. If the drink is too tart for your taste, sweeten it up with a splash of simple syrup.
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Pomegranate juice or pomegranate pear juice
6. Painkiller
Source: The Spruce Eats
Prep time: 3 minutes
Total time: 3 minutes
Sure, this tiki drink wouldn’t be out of place at a tropical beach bar or backyard barbecue. But, it’s also the perfect winter cocktail because sometimes you need a little reminder that warm beaches and sweet, sweet sunlight still exist. Plus, it has nutmeg!
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Navy or dark rum
Cream of coconut
Freshly grated nutmeg
Pineapple wedge
7. Frostbite
RSource: The Spruce Eats
Prep time: 3 minutes
Total time: 3 minutes
This baby blue cocktail is #aestheticgoals, making it perfect for a winter brunch featuring plenty of photo ops. But it’s more than just a pretty face. The unusual combination of tequila and cream meld together to create a sweet, unexpected winter treat.
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White crème de cacao (brown crème de cacao will result in a muddy-looking drink)
1 ounce blue curaçao
Cream: heavy, half and half or whole milk
Maraschino cherry garnish
8. Set the New Year on Fire
Source: Liquor.com
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
This flaming libation looks hard to do, but we promise home bartenders can replicate this scotch-based winter cocktail, and they won’t even need to make small talk while doing it. The drink itself isn’t complicated.
The flaming lime isn’t complicated either. All you need to do is place the lime shell on top of the cocktail, tuck a sugar cube inside, douse the sugar cube with a flammable liquor and light the sugar cube on fire.
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Whole lime for the juice & flaming lime shell
Mint leaves
Sugar cube
Absinthe or liquor with at least 40% alcohol by volume for the flaming lime
9. Glühwein
Source: The Kitchn
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes, including time to simmer
You may not be able to wander the Christmas markets this year, but you certainly can whip up your own glühwein at home. The German mulled wine simmers on the stove with spices and orange juice and zest, filling the house with a festive scent. For an authentic experience, drink it out of a kitschy boot-shaped mug or, at the very least, while wearing your coziest house scarf.
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Whole orange
Turbinado or granulated sugar
Whole cloves
Cinnamon sticks
Whole star anise
10. Mulled Gin
Source: BBC Good Food
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 13 minutes
Mulled wine is fine and all, but what if you’re more of a gin enthusiast? You’re in luck, because mulled gin is a thing, and it’s like Christmas in a glass. The botanical notes of the gin really mingle well with the sweetness of apple juice and Christmas-y spices.
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Whole lemon
Whole bay leaves
Cloves
Cardamom pods
Cinnamon stick
Juniper berries
Coriander seeds
11. Blood Orange French 75
Source: The Kitchn
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
With their peak freshness hitting from December to March, blood oranges are an ideal ingredient for winter cocktails. This version of a French 75 swaps out lemon juice for blood orange juice, which gives the cocktail a pretty orange hue. Between the color, the orange flavor and the bubbles, it feels like drinking a grown-up version of Orange Crush.
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Gin
Blood orange juice
12. Vodka Hot Toddy
Source: The Bojon Gourmet
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 7 minutes
Hot toddies aren’t just for whiskey/bourbon drinkers. This version combines plain or honey vodka with cider and warming spices, and it comes together without a lot of effort. We recommended serving this toddy in a mug that’s been heated first with hot water or a tiny scarf. That way, the drink will stay hot for a longer period of time.
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Freshly grated ginger
Cinnamon
Freshly grated nutmeg
Fresh lemon juice
Honey
Garnish: cinnamon stick, apple slice or lemon wheel
13. Cocoa Buie II
Source: Mom Spark
Prep time: 2 minutes
Total time: 7 minutes
Whether you’re après ski or après cold commute, this decadent drambuie hot cocoa is for you. Make your life easy and grab a cocoa mix from the store—just don’t forget the all-important tiny marshmallows.
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Ground cinnamon
Kosher salt
Looking for more cold-weather drink inspiration? Check out Fall Drinks That Will Keep You Warm and Cozy.
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