Winter Warmers: 5 Hot Cocktails for Cold Nights
Photo via Maker's MarkBaby, it may be cold outside, but we’ve got some great recipes to warm you up on those bitter winter months ahead.
Kentucky Hot Toddy
Ingredients
1 oz. Woodford Reserve Bourbon
3/4 oz. apple juice
1 cinnamon stick
Several cloves
Fresh lemon juice (1/2 a lemon)
Hot water
Directions: Combine ingredients in a hot cocktail mug. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a lemon wheel.
Heated Affair
Created by Jacques Bezuidenhout
Ingredients
2 oz. Partida Anejo Tequila
6 oz. Hot spiced apple cider
Heavy cream
Directions: In a small, warm wine glass, add tequila and hot apple cider. Float heavy cream, and grate fresh nutmeg on top.
Apple cider preparation: In a pot, add apple cider and winter spices like cloves, cinnamon stick, allspice, and orange peel. Tweak the spices to find the flavor you like; you can always add more spice later. Simmer the liquid on low heat for about 15 minutes. Taste for flavor. When the desired flavor is reached, remove from heat. Strain the spices and orange peel. Serve warm and enjoy.
A Scot’s Toddy
Ingredients
1.5 oz. Usquaebach Scotch Reserve Blend
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. honey
1 chamomile tea bag
3-4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Directions: Boil the tea water in pot or kettle. While tea water is boiling, add scotch, honey, lemon juice and tea bag to a hot cocktail mug. Once water boils, fill mug with boiling water, add cloves and cinnamon stick, stir and let steep 2-4 minutes.
A Venezuelan Holiday
Ingredients
1.5 oz. Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva Rum
1 cube brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3 sweet cloves
1 oz. lemon juice
Directions: In a medium-sized pot over low heat, add sugar, cinnamon, gently crushed cloves, rum and hot water. Stir gently until sugar and spices are dissolved. Carefully pour into hot cocktail mug, and garnish with a lemon slice.
Hot Figgin’ Cidah
Created by: Ben Lohnes, Tides Beach Club, Kennebunkport, ME
Ingredients
2 oz. cognac
1/2 oz. black mission fig shrub*
4 oz apple cider
Directions: In a hot cocktail mug, mix the shrub and cognac together and top with cider. Garnish with a lemon twist.
•Black mission fig shrub recipe
Jim Sabataso is a writer, part-time bartender, and full-time cocktail enthusiast living in Vermont. Follow him on Twitter @JimSabataso.