The Best Winter Cocktails

There are only a few ways to warm up from the inside out, and some are a lot more enjoyable than others.  You can, of course, barricade yourself in the boudoir with warm-bodied companion or you can make yourself one of these delicious seasonal cocktails.

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Tequila Mint Hot Chocolate

It’s hot chocolate just like mom used to make. Well, almost like mom used to make. The tequila part might be a little different.



Ingredients



¼ cup cocoa powder



1 tablespoon granulated sugar



A pinch of kosher salt



3 cups whole milk



4 ounces milk chocolate chips



4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips



4 ounces tequila



2 ounces peppermint schnapps



Whipped cream and mint leaf garnish



Directions



1. In medium saucepan, stir cocoa with sugar and salt. Stir in milk, milk chocolate, and bittersweet chocolate. Heat over medium heat until, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and mixture is hot. Gently whisk to completely homogenize mixture.



2. Add tequila and peppermint schnapps. Divide into serving cups and top with whipped cream and mint.

Classic Irish Coffee

This classic winter drink requires only a few seconds and a few key ingredients to make. Using freshly brewed coffee and a good quality Irish whiskey are crucial to making the best possible version.



Ingredients



2 ounces Irish Whiskey



3½ teaspoon(s) light brown sugar



4 ounces hot coffee



Whipped cream, for topping



Directions



Stir whiskey, brown sugar, and coffee together in a mug. Add whipped cream on top.

The Blizzard Cocktail

You probably don’t want any semblance of a blizzard outside but trust us when we say you won’t mind this one at all.



Ingredients



1½ ounces Irish whiskey or rum



½ ounce hazelnut liqueur



½ ounce Irish cream liqueur



Hot coffee



Dollop of Grand Marnier Whipped Cream



Directions



In a glass coffee mug, stir together whiskey, hazelnut liqueur, and Irish cream; top with coffee. Garnish cocktail with whipped cream and serve immediately.

Grog

Grog gets its name from the grogam cloth coat worn by the British navy admiral who first distributed the drink to his sailors in the 18th century.



Ingredients



2 oz dark rum



1 oz lime juice



1 teaspoon raw or brown sugar



4 ounces hot water



Cinnamon stick and orange wheel for garnish



Directions



Mix first four ingredients in mug. Garnish with cinnamon and orange wheel.

El Matador

Comparatively, the El Matador is a digestif, a cocktail with a pleasantly bitter tang that helps balance the sweet notes of your dessert.



Ingredients



1½ oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon



.75 oz Cynar



½ oz Taylor LBV Port



Splash of Cointreau



3 dashes of Pernod Absinthe



Directions



Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish by squeezing fresh lemon oil over the surface.

Werewolf Pugia

This cocktail is an aperitif, the drink equivalent of an amuse-bouche. Perfect to be consumed before a stately holiday meal, the aperitif will open up the palate and whet the appetite.



Ingredients



1½ oz Aperol



½ oz Wild Turkey Rye



.75 oz lemon juice



¼ oz simple syrup



1 cucumber wheel



Directions



Muddle cucumber and simple syrup in shaker. Add remaining ingredients and ice. Shake, then strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with skewered cucumber ribbon.

Hot Buttered Rum

Butter makes stuff better. Cocktails are no exception.



Ingredients



2 oz dark rum



1 tsp unsalted butter



1 tsp brown sugar



1 pinch each of nutmeg, cinnamon and clove



4 oz hot water (or sweet cider)



Directions



Melt butter and add spices and sugar. Cream together. Add to glass with hot water, rum and mix.

Kitchen-Talks-Hot-Buttered-Rum-3

You Should Try: The Sipping Rum

Just as time imparts grace and depth of character on a person, so can it affect the bottle. Ron Zacapa 23 Centenario Rum, a blend of rums aged 6 to 23 years old, is a great example of a nuanced brown spirit that should not be diluted with extra ingedients. Pour it over a large ice cube to savour its notes of spiced oak and butterscotch.

Eggnog

What better way to celebrate the true nature of the holidays (indulgence, of course) than with dairy, sugar, eggs and a bottle of rum.



Ingredients



3 oz amber rum



2 eggs, beaten



2 ½ cups 2 per cent milk



3 tbsp sugar



1 tsp vanilla extract



Pinch of ground nutmeg



Directions
Blend together first five ingredients. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Commence decking of the halls.

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And let’s face it, your bar cart has always been available when you needed it.