Winter Cocktails Keeping Us Warm

Dark, chilly evenings and festive flavors set the stage for seasonal drinks like snifters of bourbon and warming mugs of hot toddies. While we love those, we’re always eager to shake it up, playing with recipes that transport us to bars and restaurants throughout the South. From brown spirits and steamy drinks to sparkling cocktails and pretty punchbowls, these winter cocktails make us feel warm and fuzzy all season long.

Chilled Cocktails and Winter Warmers

Cedar and Cider Toddy

This cocktail uses a cider-tea mixture as its base before boozing it up with Tennessee-made Blue Note Bourbon. The recipe here serves one, but you could easily double or triple it to make a batched punch.

Hot Grogg

“Grog” in traditional terms refers to a warm beverage made with rum, lemon, sugar, and spice. This version from Off the Record in Washington, DC gives St-Germain a wintry update with scotch and an orange-spiced simple syrup.

Moonshine Hot Chocolate

This isn’t your child’s hot chocolate. Powdered hot cocoa mix gets a kick from a splash of moonshine, but the addition of a little cream makes this drink rich and palatable. 

Wassail

This apple-and-spice punch makes an easy set-it-and-forget-it drink when hosting guests—or just yourself. Combine the ingredients into a slow cooker, set it on low heat, and have a winter warmer at the ready.

Eggnog

Call us predictable, but nothing sets the mood for the holidays like a punchbowl of eggnog. This recipe yields about eighteen servings, so it can sustain family and friends throughout all the festivities.

Baptist Spike

While not a cocktail, per se, this batch of vanilla-and-spice booze provides an at-the-ready solution for spiking ciders, punches, eggnog, and toddies with holiday-appropriate flavors.

Honey Badger

This wine cocktail recipe is highly riffable. Feel free to experiment with cabernet or zinfandel in addition to merlot. For the fruit syrup, you could complement the red wine with a sweet raspberry syrup or contrast it with a citrus syrup.