Winter Cocktails To Beat The Chill

Winter is a good time to turn your house into your own personal entertainment hub. The winter months are the holiday months and holidays mean friends and family time. When your people get together in the cold months there is nothing better than a cocktail to bring the warmth to your home. If this sounds all too ideal, there are also good reasons to hit the spirits to deal with the conversations with granny or the probing questions from that nosey neighbour about your love life.

Now we feel like we are doing you a good turn, we can have some fun revealing some of the perfect cocktails to mix this winter.

Spiced Chocolate Sour
Grab the chocolate and that bottle of cognac, you are about to be lost in alcohol heaven. You should dry shake an ounce of cognac with ¾ oz of mozart dark chocolate. Then, take some lemon, about ¾ oz and an egg white. Then shake with some ice. Pour ⅓ oz of the mix over ice and then top up with port. If you really want to add that Christmas decor, then add a dehydrated slice of orange pierced with a clove.

Ginger Thyme Blood Orange Sparkler
You need some gin, ginger liqueur, lemon juice, some aromatic bitters and honey syrup. To make the ¼ oz of honey syrup mix a ratio of 2:1 of honey to water. Place 1 ½ oz of gin, i/2 oz of ginger liqueur and lemon juice, the honey mix and a dash of aromatic bitters in a shaker. You need to shake well! Add to a glass and top up with 3 oz of Jamaica Blood Orange and garnish with an orange slice.

Southern Sleigh Ride
This is a drink for the grown-ups on Christmas Eve, or any day in December and maybe even January. Add two parts whiskey to one part almond syrup. Then, add in ½ part of Cointreau and ¼ part gingerbread syrup. Before shaking, squeeze in a whole lime. Once well shaken pour into a glass over ice and garnish with mint.

Winter Wings
Do you want something that feels festive but has no alcohol? There is nothing to say you need a blast of spirits to enjoy the Christmas period. For this Winter Wings concoction, you will need to find Red Bull’s Winter Edition Plum Twist. You add this to a shaker with some fresh lime juice and some organic wild honey. Pour over ice and garnish with basic – and you will find this adds a spring to your winter dance moves!

Autumn Old-Fashioned
But wait, you say, all these drinks seem to suggest that we need to wait until Christmas. There are cold months in October and November too… Well, this cocktail is for those of you who want some warmth sooner rather than later. Grab yourself some dry gin and mix it with some loose leaf chai tea and sugar mix. Add in a dash of angostura bitters and pour over ice. Make sure to add that flourish by garnishing with a twist of orange.

Midwinter Night’s Dream
If we were going to be honest, the taste of autumn is warmed apple and cinnamon. This combination is a perfect reminder of sweeter times and makes us feel all homely. Combine some bourbon with some apple juice, Barking Irons Applejack is perfect. Pour in 3.4 oz of cinnamon syrup and a splash of cider. Shake well and garnish with lemon and a cinnamon stick.

Cendrillon
We have gone too far in this article before whipping out the whipped cream. Wait no longer – as Cendrillon is a luxurious mix of bourbon, pumpkin spice liqueur, lemon juice, syrup and pumpkin puree. Mis that combination well and pour in a glass and stir. Then, the best bit, garnish with a decadent blob of whipped cream and some cocoa powder. Oh wow.

Bubbly Blossom
But what about the champagne you say? It is winter; it is the season of celebration. Surely we need some sparkly. Well, this Bubbly Blossom cocktail is perfect. Find yourself some pear vodka and some St Germain, then pour in a flute and top with a dash of champagne. If you want to impress your guests, decorate with slices of pear.

Hot Teddy
While you may be happy with the idea of a hot toddy, let’s introduce you to its naughty brother – the Hot Teddy. First, get yourself a ginger-orange tea bag and infuse it in hot water. Add in some lemon juice and a dash of angostura bitters. Now comes the naughtiness – add in some whiskey and a touch of Pineau de Charentes. Pour into mugs and add in a cinnamon stick, orange peel and some star anise. Garnish with a dehydrated orange peel.

Casa Bells
If you have been worried by the lack of tequila in this exploration of the warming naughtiness of winter cocktails – then fear not – it is here. Go grab yourself some Casamigos Blanco Tequila, cranberry juice, fresh lime juice, syrup and some Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur. Add some ice – shake well – shake some more – then pour in the glass and garnish with cranberries. The cranberries are a nod to Christmas and one of your five a day – win, win!