• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Food For Net Logo (Realistic)

Food For Net

  • Original Recipes
  • Recipe Roundups
  • Beer
  • Whiskey
  • Wine
  • Subscription Boxes
  • Meal Delivery
  • Outdoor Cooking

Best Hot Cocktails For Winter To Warm Your Cockles

April 26, 2020 by Food For Net
Home ‣ Spirits ‣ Best Hot Cocktails For Winter To Warm Your Cockles
9 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
closeup image of an orange colored cocktail drinks with herbs and spices around it, with text overlay "Best Hot Cocktails For Winter To Warm Your Cockles"
Two hot toddys with sliced lemon, cinnamon and star anise

When the weather is cold, the last thing that many of us feels like is a chilled cocktail, especially one that is served over ice. Sure, the alcohol is warming enough, but standing around with something icy in your hands is not fun when the weather is cold. Thankfully, there are many hot cocktails out there too.

These cocktails are perfect for taking the edge off the cold weather, warming you from the inside out, while keeping your hands nice and toasty too. They’re excellent in the evenings too.

The cocktails we’re featuring here come in a variety of styles. Some of them are common recipes that you’ll have seen around before, others are variations on classic cocktails or are even entirely new.

Most of the time, you can easily tweak the ingredients of the cocktail to create a flavor profile that interests you. For example, hot toddies and mulled wine are some of the most common hot cocktails and there are countless variations on each of these. 

Table of Contents

  • Hot Cocktails For Winter
    • Hot Toddy
    • Mulled Wine
    • White Mulled Wine
    • Warm Old Fashioned
    • Irish Coffee
    • Spiked Pumpkin Spice Latte
    • Hot Coffee Alexander
    • Spiked Hot Chocolate
    • Eggnog
    • Hot Gin And Tonic
    • Hot Apple Cider
    • Wassail
    • Hot Buttered Rum
    • Vegan Buttered Rum
    • Tom And Jerry
    • Hot Punch
    • Boozy White Hot Chocolate
    • Milk And Honey Cocktail
    • Christmas Mule

Hot Cocktails For Winter

  • Hot Toddy
  • Mulled Wine
  • White Mulled Wine
  • Warm Old Fashioned
  • Irish Coffee
  • Spiked Pumpkin Spice Latte
  • Hot Coffee Alexander
  • Spiked Hot Chocolate
  • Eggnog
  • Hot Gin And Tonic
  • Hot Apple Cider
  • Wassail
  • Hot Buttered Rum
  • Vegan Buttered Rum
  • Tom And Jerry
  • Hot Punch
  • Boozy White Hot Chocolate
  • Milk And Honey Cocktail

Hot Toddy

A hot toddy in a glass mug with cinnamon sticks, lemon and other ingredients on the table

A hot toddy is the best place to start our list – as this is probably the most famous hot cocktail out there. The simplest way to make a hot toddy is with whiskey, sugar, warm water, and some lemon. Another classic is to use lemon, honey, whiskey, ginger, and hot water, which can be ideal for anyone suffering from a cold.

Of course, there are countless variations.

Some people rely on cider rather than hot water, which can create a much sweeter drink. Likewise, some versions heavily rely on spices to make the cocktail more interesting.

All of these variations have their place, but really, whiskey should be a key component of this hot cocktail no matter what. It simply isn’t the same when the flavors of the whiskey get overpowered.

The same is true if you’re relying on a different spirit for your whiskey. The cocktail is always better when you have a variety of flavors in play, rather than an overwhelmingly sweet drink.

Two glasses of hot cider with some star anise on a table

19 Non-Alcoholic Holiday Drinks To Keep You In Good Cheer

A summer cocktail in a glass with cucumber slices and grapefruit

The Best Cocktails For Summer To Keep You Refreshed

Four different types of hot holiday drinks, including mulled wine, buttered rum, and mulled wine

17 Hot Holiday Drinks That Will Keep You Warm And Content

A glass containing a mezcal negroni with an orange wedge

22 Outstanding Mezcal Cocktails That Showcase The Mexican Spirit

Three types of brightly colored cocktail, including a strawberry margarita and a galaxy cocktail

36 Colorful Drinks To Make Your Night Come Alive

A glass bottle filled with expensive whiskey on a wooden table

The Most Expensive Alcohol You Won’t Ever Be Able To Afford

A slection of small alcohol bottles in a mini grocery cart

12 Alcohol Delivery Apps That Will Bring Booze Straight To Your Door

Four drinks for acid reflux, including carrot juice, ginger tea, coconut water, and kefir

20 Drinks For Acid Reflux That Can Offer Easy Relief

Mulled Wine

Two glasses of mulled wine with cut lemons and seasonal decorations

Mulled wine is another classic hot cocktail, especially because it is easy to make and you can prepare enough to serve a crowd at one time. The drink is generally made using red wine and a variety of mulling spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise. Sliced oranges or orange wedges may be included as well.

The drink is a flexible one, so you can play around with the ingredients to find the best balance of flavors for the wine that you’re using. Just be sure to avoid ground spices. These tend to float on top of your wine and give it an odd texture.

You may need to add some extra sweetness to the wine too. Some people turn to sugar, brown sugar, or honey. Apple cider can be used as well, especially as the apple flavor of the cider perfectly complements the rest of the wine.

Finally, you can spike the mulled wine with brandy or another spirit before serving. This provides an extra alcoholic kick, helping to offset any alcohol that was lost through evaporation.  

White Mulled Wine

Glasses of mulled white whine and various seasonal ingredients

Red mulled wine might be a well-recognized classic, but white mulled wine has its merits too.

The first step is to choose your wine well. You’ll need a white that isn’t too acidic or you’ll get some odd flavors when it is heated. An oaked Chardonnay is a good choice to begin with or perhaps a Viognier.

The process of making white mulled wine is the same as red mulled wine. You’re even using many of the same ingredients, such as star anise, orange peel or orange slices, and cinnamon. Once again, you can play with the ingredients until you get a flavor profile that you love.

Both types of mulled wine can be made in a pot on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. A slow cooker is a useful approach, as you don’t need to worry about the wine boiling and you can easily keep your mulled wine warm.

Warm Old Fashioned

Two glasses containing an old fashioned cocktail and ice

While an old fashioned is traditionally a cold drink, you can make warm versions of the cocktail too. This can be done using the same ingredients as a traditional old fashioned, including bitters, sugar, whiskey, a slice of orange, and a little club soda.

The difference is that you finish the whiskey off with hot water. Doing so doesn’t just make the drink warm, it also changes the flavor profile.

You’ll find that some of the traditional flavors become more prominent, while others blend together. The end result is a soothing drink that is a nice change from mulled wine or a hot toddy.

Irish Coffee

An Irish coffee with a frothy head on a wooden table

Irish Coffee is a classic that is hard to ignore. The simplest version of the cocktail just involves adding whiskey to coffee. However, the traditional approach involves using Irish whiskey and brown sugar, then topping off the drink with whipped cream.

You don’t need to follow the traditional recipe unless you want to. You could even just make coffee the way that you normally do and spike it with whiskey or another type of spirit.

Spiked Pumpkin Spice Latte

Two mugs of pumpkin spice latte with cream

Despite the large number of coffee variations out there, the pumpkin spice latte remains incredibly popular. So, why not take full advantage of the flavors and create an alcoholic version?

One example of this comes from the site Crazy for Crust. The recipe relies on pumpkin pie spice coffee creamer as the source of the pumpkin flavor. Alternatively, you could make your own pumpkin spice latte from scratch and then spike it with your favorite spirit.

Hot Coffee Alexander

A rich hot chocolate with cream

The classic Alexander cocktail is cold and relies on cognac (or sometimes brandy), crème de cacao liqueur, and cream. This version is similar, except that you’re including hot coffee as an ingredient.

Additionally, you’re using whipped cream on top of the coffee, rather than mixing cream in with the rest of your cocktail.

The flavor profile ends up being similar to a spiked mochaccino, making it an ideal drink on a cold day. It’s also nice to enjoy something a little more complex than simply spiking your coffee.   

Spiked Hot Chocolate

A hot chocolate ina mug with a cinnamon stick

There are countless recipes for boozy hot chocolates. None of them are as famous as an Irish coffee, but they’re all appealing in their own right.

For example, Serious Eats has a recipe that they call Tequila Mint Hot Chocolate. This one provides two hits of alcohol, one from the tequila and another from peppermint schnapps.

Another recipe is Orange Brandy Hot Chocolate, which comes from the Food Network. It uses orange brandy as the alcohol of choice, while orange bitters and orange zest add in extra kicks of orange.

As with coffee, you could simply take your favorite hot chocolate recipe and add alcohol to it. Creamy alcohol options work well here, such as Bailey’s Irish Cream.

Eggnog

Two glasses of eggnog with cinnamon and nutmeg

Eggnog is a classic that can’t be ignored. Key ingredients include sugar, spices, milk or cream, an egg, and an alcoholic spirit. The spirit that you choose can strongly influence the flavor of the drink.

For example, brandy tends to add sweetness to the eggnog, with a noticeable flavor that isn’t too overwhelming. Rum, on the other hand, has a subtle flavor, one that you might miss entirely.

Whiskey tends to produce the strongest flavor, which is perfect if you’re not a fan of the regular taste of eggnog.

Of course, the specific whiskey, rum, or brandy that you use will also make a difference. This is especially true for whiskey, as the whiskey flavor stands out so much.

While eggnog is often served as a cold drink, you can easily have it warm as well. The cocktail can taste even better warm, especially on cold evenings or afternoons.

Hot Gin And Tonic

A bottle of American gin with glasses of aromatics

While a gin and tonic is traditionally served cold over ice, making a hot version of the drink is surprisingly easy. All you need to do is skip the tonic water and use tonic syrup instead, then rely on hot water instead of soda water.

There are now many different brands of tonic syrup to choose from. Some of these use botanicals to create an interesting flavor profile, while others focus just on the quinine.

The simplest type of hot gin and tonic involves mixing together gin, hot water, and tonic syrup. You’ll probably want some simple syrup too, but that’s about it. You could leave the drink as-is or expand it by adding in some spices, such as cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg.

Gin is a subtle spirit, so a hot gin and tonic doesn’t have the same in-your-face flavor that you get with a hot toddy. The drink ends up having more complexity too, especially as gin can have multiple aromatics that influence its final flavor.

Hot Apple Cider

A glass of hot apple cider containing apple slices, cinnamon sticks and star anise

Hot apple cider is a common drink in the cooler months, but there isn’t a single recipe to turn to. Instead, people make hot apple cider in a variety of ways.

Some versions are spiked apple cider, where apple cider (or occasionally apple juice) is used as the base of the drink. Various other ingredients are used for flavor, including options like cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and allspice.

The drink is then spiked with a spirit to create a hot alcoholic cocktail. Spiced rum is a popular choice in this type of cocktail, as the flavors of the rum perfectly complement the other ingredients. Bourbon is another common choice.

You can also create a basic cocktail by heating up hard apple cider. This is less powerful, as hard apple cider is often carbonated and carbonated drinks don’t tend to heat well.

Wassail

Two glasses of a Wassail cocktail, which is a type of mulled cider

Wassail is a traditional mulled cider drink that has a long history. While the drink was originally created using warmed meat, these days cider tends to be used instead.

The process is similar to making mulled wine, where you are combining the various ingredients in a pot or a slow cooker and then heating them. There is no significant difference between mulled cider and wassail, except that wassail is a more traditional name.

Hot Buttered Rum

A glass mug containing hot buttered rum

While hot buttered rum has become a famous cocktail, it is also a slightly odd idea if you haven’t tried it before. As the name suggests, the cocktail uses rum and butter as key ingredients. Once again, spices are added to create a complex flavor profile.

Some variations of the recipe include other ingredients, such as softened ice cream to create an even more creamy drink. Apple cider may be added as well, which provides extra liquid and an appealing depth of flavor.

Vegan Buttered Rum

Two mugs of vegan hot buttered rum with cinnamon sticks

If the traditional hot buttered rum isn’t for you, then you could try a vegan variation instead. This hot cocktail still aims for the same texture and flavor profile as regular hot buttered rum. The difference is that you’re generally using coconut oil as the main source of fat, rather than butter.

This type of cocktail isn’t just for vegans either. Coconut oil is often considered to be good for your health, partly because of the MCTs that it contains. You might also find that you prefer the flavor of coconut oil over butter, which is another reason to consider the cocktail.

Tom And Jerry

A hot eggnog or Tom and Jerry cocktail in a mason jar

The Tom and Jerry is a variation on a classic eggnog cocktail. There are a few key differences. One is that the Tom and Jerry is almost always served warm, while eggnog may be served warm, but often isn’t.

Another difference is the alcohol. The Tom and Jerry uses cognac and rum, rather than just one type of alcohol.

Finally, there are texture differences. The Tom and Jerry cocktail tends to have a whipped texture that is lighter than you’ll generally find with eggnog.

Hot Punch

A jug of hot punch with various glasses of punch

Punch tends to be a cold drink that is served at parties, but there are many hot punch recipes that you can try out too. Many of these follow the themes of other items on this list, such as punch that is based on a hot toddy, apple cider or mulled wine.

Aside from taste, one of the most important goals with punch is to allow you to serve a crowd of people. A slow cooker can be a good tool for this task, as it allows you to keep your cocktail warm and serve it easily.

Alternatively, you could simply prepare a batch of the hot punch and then immediately serve it to your guests.

Boozy White Hot Chocolate

A white hot chocolate with various pieces of cocoa butter and cinnamon sticks

We mentioned a spiked hot chocolate earlier in this list, so why not do something similar with a white hot chocolate? This type of drink is perfect for white chocolate lovers or for anyone with a sweet tooth.

An easy approach is to use milk as the base for the hot chocolate and to include white chocolate chips for the chocolate flavor. Various spices can be added in too, along with whichever spirit or liqueur takes your fancy.

You could turn to a powered white hot chocolate mix instead, just make sure to choose the brand carefully. Some white hot chocolate mixes contain excessive amounts of sugar and little else.

Milk And Honey Cocktail

Three glasses of a seasonal cocktail made with milk and honey

This simple cocktail relies on just two ingredients – milk and Benedictine. Benedictine is a herbal liqueur that has a complex aromatic profile and includes distinct honey notes.

The combination creates a simple drink that can be enjoyed hot or cold. This is a fantastic way to fully enjoy the flavors of Benedictine, as there are no other ingredients to drown the Benedictine out.

Christmas Mule

A can of ginger beer isolated on white

This cocktail is a variation on the Moscow mule. It is a simple cocktail, as you only have three ingredients to worry about – pear vodka, ginger beer, and a cinnamon stick.

Preparing the cocktail does require a bit of effort, as you need to slowly warm the ginger beer. You can do this in a microwave, but a stovetop will tend to work better because it’s important to warm the ginger beer slowly.

Rapidly increasing the temperature of the ginger beer will cause it to lose carbonation, which isn’t ideal.

Category: SpiritsTag: Cocktails, Drinks
An exhausted woman collapsed on her desk, highlighting the question of why energy drinks make me tired

Why Do Energy Drinks Make Me Tired?

A white mug with coffee against a background of coffee beans

8 Rich, Organic Coffee of the Month Clubs

A three-layered shot on a light background

48 Fun Alcoholic Shots To Make At Home

A sour cocktail made using moonshine, which is one of many deliciou moonshine mixed drinks

27 Tasty Moonshine Mixed Drinks That Are Surprisingly Refined

Four types of non-alcoholic drinks, including soda water and lime

26 Non-Alcoholic Drinks You Can Order At A Bar

A wooden table with two glasses of a spinach smoothie, next to a bowl of spinach

Drinks With Iron That Make It Easy To Avoid Deficiency

Various herbs and spices on a wooden table

15 Soothing Drinks For A Sore Throat

12 Coffee & Espresso Cocktail Recipes

Previous Post:Four different types of gin cocktails in seperate imagesThe Best Gin Cocktails To Order Or Make At Home
Next Post:Top 22 Gin And Tonic Variations To Keep Your Cocktails InterestingA gin and tonic with garnishes and ice next to a cocktail shaker

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Sidebar

About The Owner

cooking bbq pizza outside

Hi! My name is Rick and foodfornet.com is just a website about food and drink that I like. That includes sous vide, slow cooking, grilling, smoking, and homemade pizzas.

I also make my own beer, wine, cider, kombucha, and sake… and am a whiskey enthusiast! 🍕🍺🥩🥃

A bottle of bison grass Polish vodka on a table

The Best Polish Vodka

A glass of caramel vodka with a ball of ice, caramel and a cinnamon stick as a garnish

The Best Caramel Vodka

An old fashioned cocktail in a glass on a wooden table

Best Whiskey for Old-Fashioned

Four types of alcoholic drinks that could be used in a drinking game, including vodka shots, a shandy, wine and glasses, along with a rum and coke

The Best Alcoholic Drinks For Drinking Games

A wooden box next to a sake martini on a table with leaves in the background, highlighting the idea of sake mixed drinks

24 Sake Mixed Drinks That You Should Be Making Today

Four vodka cocktails, including a butterbeer cocktail, a chocolate martini, a Christmas cocktail, and an Irish mint cocktail

20 Holiday Drinks With Vodka That Are Certain To Delight

Gourmet Food

Artisanal Beverages

Comfort Food

Comfort Food (Featured Image)

Copyright © 2023 Food For Net
Privacy Policy · Cookie Policy · Affiliate Disclosure · Accessibility Statement
Blog · Instagram · Twitter · Pinterest

FoodForNet.com is a member of the Amazon Associates affiliate program. We earn commissions from qualifying purchases through affiliate links.