NOW EXPERIENCING:6 warm cocktails to see you through winter
Cocktails|Whisk(e)y|Cocktails|Night cap

6 warm cocktails to see you through winter

Read time 4 Mins

Posted 27 Jun 2024

By
Dan’s Daily

The Hot Buttered Rum features a clove-studded orange peel as garnish

When the temperature drops, these are the best drinks to keep the chill at bay.

When it comes to cocktails, we’re all about the colder the better, from using the best-quality ice and choosing right shape for each drink to giving our glasses a stint in the freezer to really chill things down. But once the cooler weather hits, we lose a little commitment to keeping things icy cold.

If you think a mug of tea or hot chocolate is as exciting as warm drinks get, allow us to introduce you to some of our favourite winter cocktails. And yes, Mulled Wine is included here (it’s a cold-weather staple, after all), but we have plenty of other delicious ideas, too. With each recipe ripe for improvising with your own favourite flavours, these six cocktails prove there’s fun to be had when mixing up drinks for winter. 

Inside a mug of Mulled Wine
1. Mulled WineYou could think of Mulled Wine a little like warm Sangria with a lick of spice, but that doesn’t really sell it. This drink goes hand-in-hand with all those picture-perfect European Christmas markets we see in the movies, and that’s helped by the inclusion of traditional warming spices. Think star anise, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom, all mingling with warmed red wine (go for a rich, fruity style like grenache or shiraz), orange peel and nutmeg. If that’s not a hug in a mug, we don’t know what is. 
2. Hot Buttered RumThis isn’t just a cute name for a cocktail – it actually does feature butter as a key ingredient. That’s either going to reel you in or put you right off, but trust us when we tell you it’s the butter that takes this drink to gloriously rich new heights. This cocktail dates back to the 1800s, but we have ensured this recipe and its ratios are bang-on for today’s tastes, complete with the addition of apricot brandy for a fruity balance, and a clove-studded orange peel for a garnish that adds its own flavour.         
A mug of Hot Buttered Rum
The Dan's Hot Chocolate includes rum and melted chocolate
3. Dan’s Hot Chocolate Reckon you’ve got your hot-chocolate making down to a fine art? It’s time to give this grown-up version a whirl. Melting your chocolate of choice here brings another layer of richness to this cocktail, and while our recipe recommends the addition of cloves and a bay leaf, you could easily switch them out for other options – cardamom, say, or perhaps even a seeded chilli for a subtly spicy twist. With your own customised hot chocolate mixed through a vodka base, this is one of the best DIY winter cocktails we know.       
4. Hot ToddyThis age-old drink is as easy as it is delicious – all you need is your favourite whisky, some lemon, honey and boiling water. Stir it round in your go-to mug, and you’re ready to settle in for the night, warm and toasty. Despite the simplicity of this recipe, there are plenty of ways to make it your own. Whether you’re a fan of bourbon or Scotch, peated whiskies or more approachable styles, your Hot Toddy will reflect your choice. And don’t be shy to throw in a few other flavours – a clove or lemon peel at the bottom of the mug will further lift the mix. 
The Hot Winter Spritz puts a wintery twist on the Aperol Spritz
5. Hot Winter SpritzThe Aperol Spritz is all good and well, but there comes a point in the middle of the year when it loses some of its appeal. If you’re never sure what to reach for instead of this peak-summer staple, we’re here to help. Enter the Hot Winter Spritz, which gives the Aperol Spritz a winter glow-up. Here, the soda is switched out for cloudy apple juice, and it all gets thrown in a pot with a cinnamon quill until it’s warm. But if you miss the extra fizz of a traditional Spritz, you could switch out the juice for apple cider instead.   
6. Baileys White Hot ChocolateIf you are yet to explore the joys of Baileys, you’re going to want to have a play with this recipe. We’ve taken the traditional hot chocolate, swapped it for white chocolate, thrown in a few spices, given it a Baileys Irish Cream base, with a dash of vodka or spiced rum – suit yourself – to create this super-indulgent cocktail. This drink was just made for sipping on the couch with a few friends while the rain buckets down outside. 
Want more ideas? Check out our growing collection of cocktail recipes, which you can filter by key ingredient, flavour profile and more.
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image credits: Top image, Hot Buttered Rum – Shelley Horan (photography), Bridget Wald (stylist).
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Dan’s DailyFrom nailing that Negroni recipe and the pinot to pair with your pasta to knowing all the best new bars, Dan’s Daily keeps you on top of what’s new, what’s good and what you definitely need to know.
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CocktailsCognac & BrandyNight capSweetWine basedChristmasRumIntermediateLiqueursWinterChristmasEasyVodkaChristmas in July'Best of' listsEntertainingWinterWhisk(e)yCocktailsAperitifs & Vermouth
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