Warming Winter Cocktails for the Holiday Season

Even the slightest shift in temperatures makes trading in our chilled cocktail glasses for a cup of the hot and soothing a decadent affair. Fire up your bar carts and cozy up with these five winter warmers.

Winter Blues

If you’ve ever skied the French Alps, there’s a good chance you’ve warmed up with an après-ski mug of Verte Chaud. The regional hot chocolate, which translates to “hot green,” is spiked with green Chartreuse, the herbal liqueur made by the nearby Carthusian monks. With heady notes of pine and lavender, the liqueur is as invigorating as the Alpine air. A new year calls for a new take on the classic, and this one replaces dark chocolate with white chocolate and bright botanicals for a blissfully blue drink.

Serves 2

• 11 /2 cups full-fat coconut milk
• 4 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (seeds scraped)
• 2 oz. floral syrup (recipe below)
• Pinch of salt
• 11 /2 oz. green Chartreuse
• 11 /2 oz. Mezcal Verde Amarás
• Garnish: roasted marshmallows

Warm the milk in a saucepan until steaming. Whisk in the white chocolate and vanilla bean until completely melted. Bring the mixture to a simmer, being careful not to let it boil over. Let simmer, whisking for 3–4 minutes, until slightly thicker. Remove from heat and add floral syrup and salt. Whisk once more to combine. Divide the Chartreuse and mezcal evenly between 2 mugs and top with hot chocolate. Garnish with roasted marshmallows.

Floral Syrup

(Makes 1 cup)

• 1 /4 cup dried lavender, food-grade
• 1 /4 cup dried butterfly pea flowers or powder, food-grade
• 1 cup sugar (or coconut sugar)
• 1 cup water

Add all the ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Available in both green and yellow expressions, Chartreuse is made from 130 different botanicals. The yellow version is somewhat milder, with more honey and saffron notes. The original formula is said to date back to 1605, though the first trademark was filed in 1840.

Winter Sleigh

A straightforward and balanced sour, the original Sidecar dates to around World War I. This seasonal take on the classic infuses the cognac with chai flavors for an unexpected warm interpretation featuring a golden pear garnish.

Serves 1

• 1 1/2 oz. cognac, such as Pierre Ferrand 1840
• 3/4 oz. orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 3 oz. chai tea
• Garnish: orange twist and a slice of gold- dusted pear and gold-dusted sugar rim (optional)

Coat the rim of a heat-resistant glass with sugar, sprinkled with edible gold flakes, if desired, and set aside. Temper a heat-resistant glass with hot water, then add the cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon juice. Top with chai tea and garnish with an orange twist and pear slices.

Fuyu Hot Toddy

Among the most universal of the hot alcoholic drinks, the Hot Toddy originated around 1862 and featured a simple recipe of brandy, white sugar, and hot water—a mixture that has been reimagined time and time again through the decades. Below is an Asian-inspired iteration using an unfiltered sake, with a creamy white finish and a burst of citrus flavor from the yuzu and kumquat.

Serves 1

• 2 oz. nigori sake, such as Kikusui Perfect Snow
• 1 oz. yuzu juice
• 1 barspoon yuzu marmalade
• 3 oz. hot chamomile tea
• Garnish: black and white sesame sugar and fresh kumquats

Coat the rim of a heat-resistant glass with sugar sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds and set aside. Temper a heat-resistant glass with hot water, then add the sake, yuzu juice, and marmalade. Top with tea and stir well. Garnish with fresh kumquats.

The tiny kumquat is a citrus fruit, originally grown in Southeast Asia, with a sweet-tart flavor closely resembling a sour tangerine. If you find yourself in Dade City, Florida in January, don’t miss the town’s annual kumquat festival, which attracts thousands of visitors every year, and the nearby town of St. Joseph, the self-proclaimed “kumquat capital of the world.”

Mai Oh Mai

Hot Buttered Rum has been comforting warm drink aficionados since the Colonial era. This decidedly tiki-inspired variation adds a gingerbread batter and a shot of allspice dram to the classic recipe for a double hit of warming spice. The seasonal persimmon and tropical passion fruit add to the exotic appeal.

Serves 1

• 11/2 oz. aged rum, such as Pa’lante (8-year)
• 1/2 oz. allspice dram
• 1 tbsp. gingerbread batter (recipe below)
• 1 tbsp. persimmon and passion fruit puree (recipe below)
• Garnish: cinnamon stick and fresh persimmon slice

Add hot water to a mug to temper it. Once hot, discard the water, and add the room-temperature batter and puree. Add 3 oz. boiling water and mix it with a milk frother or whisk. Add the rum and allspice dram. Top with more hot water. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a slice of persimmon.

Gingerbread Batter

• 1/2 lb. butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 lb. raw sugar
• 1 tbsp. ground ginger
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 tbsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 quart vanilla ice cream, softened

Add butter, sugar, and spices to a stand mixer or mixing bowl and combine until all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Add the ice cream and stir again. Transfer to a container with a lid, seal, and store in the freezer.

Fruit Puree

Cut the fruits in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Place the pulp in a blender, along with 1 tsp. water per fruit. Blend on high for 3 seconds. Pour the blend through a fine mesh strainer, using a wooden spoon to push the pulp through.

Pro Tip

The proof is in the batter. To make sure you don’t end up with a greasy glob of butter floating on top of your hot drink, prepare the batter ahead of time.

A Rosé by Any Other Name

This pink-hued mulled warmer has the flavorful depth of the red classic, yet it’s made lighter and tropical with a twist of pineapple, hibiscus, and pink peppercorns.

Serves 4

• 1 bottle (750 ml) Lillet Rosé
• 1 cup fresh pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup hibiscus tea
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds
• 1/2 tsp. whole pink peppercorns
• 3 cinnamon sticks, plus more for serving
• 6 cloves
• 12 cardamom pods, lightly cracked
• 4 oz. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao (optional)
• Garnish: cinnamon stick, fresh pineapple slices, and fresh dragon fruit slices

In a pot, combine Lillet, pineapple juice, hibiscus tea, lemon, and spices. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Ladle into mugs and stir 1/2 oz. dry curaçao into each glass. Garnish with fresh pineapple slices, fresh dragon fruit slices, and a cinnamon stick (optional).