12 Winter Cocktails to Help You Brave the Snow

If you're one of the people brave enough to go to the bar in 30-degree weather, congratulations: You're a champ. For those of you who are the Netflix-and-never-leave-the-couch types that prefer to hibernate from December to March (same), consider this your definitive home winter cocktail guide (opens in new tab). Ahead, a dozen delicious warm pick-me-ups to lift your spirits after the holidays and keep them there until frosé season.

1. Spiked Cinnamon Chai Lattes

Ingredients:

2 tbs powdered sugar

1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp chili powder

3 oz hot coffee

2 oz chocolate vodka

1 oz Kahlua

1 oz Baileys

Splash of milk

Whipped cream for serving

Directions:

In your favorite coffee mug, mix the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and chili powder. Add in the hot coffee, vodka, Kahlua, and Baileys until dissolved. Stir in milk. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Courtesy of Andrea Correale, founder and president of Elegant Affairs (opens in new tab)

2. Winter Fiesta

Ingredients:

4 oz Jose Cuervo Red Sangria Margarita

1 oz sparkling water

1 lime

1 orange

1 pomegranate

1 apple

Mint leaves

Directions:

Combine the margarita mix and sparkling water. Garnish with lime, orange, pomegranate, apple, and mint.

Courtesy of Jose Cuervo (opens in new tab)

3. Altos Spiced Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

2 parts Altos Anejo

2 tsp Agave syrup

2 dashes Smoked chili or chili chipotle bitters

1 grapefruit

Directions:

In an Old Fashioned glass, muddle the agave syrup and the bitters. Add Altos Anejo and fill with ice. Stir. Squeeze a grapefruit twist on top.

Courtesy of Altos (opens in new tab)

4. Spiked Hazelnut Gingerbread Hot Cocoa

Ingredients:

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp sugar

1 pinch of salt

1 cup milk or cream

3 tbsp gingerbread syrup

1 tbsp Frangelico

Whipped cream

2 tbsp hazelnut spread

Directions:

In a saucepan, heat milk until hot but do not let boil. Whisk in the cocoa, salt, sugar, milk, and other ingredients until fully melted and creamy. Top with whipped cream and hazelnut spread.

Courtesy of Andrea Correale, founder and president of Elegant Affairs (opens in new tab)

5. Nouveau Espresso

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Grey Goose

1/2 oz J Rieger Caffe Amaro

1/2 oz white creme de cacao

1/4 oz simple syrup

1.5 oz cold espresso

Pinch of cayenne

Poppy seeds

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except cayenne and poppy seeds in a chilled martini shaker. Shake hard and fine strain in a coupe glass. Garnish.

Courtesy of Liana Oster (opens in new tab) at Nouveau

6. Caramel Apple Toddy

Ingredients:

3 oz Caramel Apple HI-CHEW Infused Applejack*

1.5 cups apple cider

1 oz fresh lemon juice

Directions:

In a small saucepan, heat the cider until hot. Remove from the heat, stir in the applejack and lemon juice, and divide between two mugs. Garnish with a lemon wheel and dried apple ring.

Courtesy of HI-CHEW and Allison Kave of Brooklyn bar and bakery Butter & Scotch (opens in new tab)

7. Hot Buttered Bourbon

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Rabbit Hole Bourbon

1 heaping tsp. Holiday Compound Butter

0.25 oz heavy cream

0.25 oz Rich Demerara Syrup

4 oz hot water

1 cinnamon stick

Directions:

Combine the ingredients in an Irish coffee mug and stir. Then garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Courtesy of Rabbit Hole Distillery (opens in new tab)

8. The 8th Day

Ingredients:

1 ½ parts HAVANA CLUB Añejo Clásico Rum

3 parts Chai Tea

1 ¾ parts coconut milk

1 part simple syrup or 1 tbs white sugar

1 cinnamon stick

Directions:

Prepare Chai Tea. While the tea steeps, warm coconut milk over medium heat. Do not boil. Combine remaining ingredients in a high temperature resistant mixing glass, add rum last, and stir. Serve in a glass coffee cup, and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Courtesy of Havana Club Rum (opens in new tab)

9. Holi-Yay Punch

Ingredients:

2 bottles Smirnoff Ice Strawberry

2 bottles Smirnoff Ice Original

1.5 cups Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka

4 cups blood orange juice

4 cups pomegranate juice

1/4 cup simple syrup - optional

1/4 cup lemon juice

Sliced strawberries

Blood orange slices

Pomegranate arils

Fresh mint leaves

Directions:

Mix everything—except Smirnoff Ice Original—in a punch bowl or large pitcher. Pour punch into glasses, top with Smirnoff Ice Original, and garnish with mint leaves, pomegranate arils, strawberries, and blood orange slice.

Courtesy of Megan Marlowe, Strawberry Blondie Kitchen (opens in new tab)

10. Winter Blue

Ingredients:

1 oz vodka

1 oz blue curacao

4 oz lemonade

1 lemon

Directions:

Fill a glass with ice and pour in vodka and curacao. Top the rest of the way with lemonade. Garnish with a wedge of lemon.

Courtesy of Andrea Correale, founder and president of Elegant Affairs (opens in new tab)

11. All the Fixin's 

Ingredients:

1.5 oz The Botanist gin

.75 oz fresh lemon juice

.75 oz Amontialdo sherry

.75 oz fresh grapefruit juice

.5 oz cinnamon syrup

2 dashes angostura bitters

Cracked white pepper for garnish

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake. Fine strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with cracked white pepper.

Courtesy of The Botanist Gin (opens in new tab)

12. Cranberry Mulled Wine

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups cranberry juice cocktail

1/2 cup sugar

2–4 cinnamon sticks

2–3 pieces of star anise

3–4 cups of dry red wine

1/2 cup fresh cranberries

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine the cranberry juice cocktail, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and star anise. Simmer for 15–20 minutes. Add in the wine and cranberries and bring back to a simmer. Serve warm.

Courtesy of Andrea Correale, founder and president of Elegant Affairs (opens in new tab)

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