Are you a cocktail lover? Looking for some warm cocktails for the coldest winter days? Here is a list of the top 25 hot cocktails to help you survive the winter blues.
It is never appealing to go out for a bar night when it is too cold outside, or if you are a little broke. Either way, there is no point in being sad at home. Life is slipping away every day, and to retain the day, you can have a special drink that makes the day worth it. If you are willing to get a bit tipsy but also want to stay home in your comfort and warmth, the best idea is to make cocktails at home. You will be surprised to know that you can also make pretty amazing cocktails at home with only the simple ingredients that you already have in your kitchen. Cocktails can warm you up from the inside and offer a nice and cozy feeling, which goes perfectly along with snacks, movies, card games, and whatnot.
In order to make these cocktails, you are not required to become a big cocktail drinker yourself. You can easily try out the classic cocktail recipes that are easy to make and taste absolutely delicious, even if you are not a trained bartender with diverse knowledge. Here is a list of the top 25 hot cocktails that can make your winter days greater and cozier.
- Mulled Wine
Mulled wine is an amazing cocktail that can be made in just 5 minutes. In order to make this cocktail, you would require a few easy ingredients, which include red wine, orange slices, warming spices, honey, and brandy. This cocktail recipe dates back to the historical Roman times when it was consumed to keep the royal families warm during winter. You can use any kind of red wine along with warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, and star anise. This warm drink comes with a flavorful kick that tastes quite good and smooth. You can utilize orange in this case for a better essence.
- Crockpot Red Wine Hot Cocoa
Well, combining red wine with hot cocoa might sound like a strange idea, and it actually works pretty well for this Crockpot recipe that is loved by all. This slow-cook recipe needs cocoa, chocolate chips, milk, sugar, a bit of salt, and red wine all together boiling in a slow-cook pot. You need to cook this for an hour and whisk the mixture every 15 to 20 minutes. You can serve this amazing beverage along with some hot roasted marshmallows and shavings of milk chocolate. This drink is quite sweet and heavy.
- Hot Buttered Rum
When it is chilly and cold outside, nothing works better than dark rum. It is the winter preference for most people; however, its strong taste is also not liked by a majority of people. Fortunately, there are amazing recipes like the Hot Buttered Rum that can turn your regular rum into an expensive cocktail. In this case, you would need butter, cinnamon, ice cream, and rum to make it, and it is a perfect drink for house parties. It is a healthy drink that has similarities with butter beer. It is recommended to take any cheap dark rum that you can make in bigger batches
- Hot Toddy
This is the simplest cocktail recipe that was specially made for the cold winter days, and the medicinal values of this cocktail can also help to get rid of a cold and cough. It takes only 5 mins to make it, and you can drink it in the afternoon as well due to its refreshing taste. All of the ingredients are available in your kitchen already, as you would only need good bourbon, honey, and lemon. You need lukewarm water for this, where you can melt the honey completely, and then add lime and cinnamon to it. Add your bourbon and give it a good mix, and it is done. Finish your drink while it is warm.
- Rumchata Hot Cocoa
RumChata is a cream liqueur manufactured in Wisconsin. The taste is really good. Utilizing it for making hot cocoa is the best idea to get that thick, creamy texture along with a fair amount of intoxication. You can also utilize it for making cupcakes, eggnogs, and other dessert options. It follows the same traditional recipe of hot cocoa, but this time, you will add cream liquor instead of milk, and that is what offers the punch. It is a very tasty and warm beverage that can keep you warm on the coldest days of December.
- Boozy Apple Cider
Apple cider vinegar has gained much attention in the last few years, and most people use it for weight loss purposes. However, the cider can be utilized to make boozy drinks as well. It is a slow-cook process and allows you to utilize all the apples and ciders that you impulsively bought for a cheaper price. In a slow-cook pot, add apple cider, whiskey (Fireball or anything of your choice), caramel, and cinnamon sticks. Now, cook this for 2 to 3 hours at a low temperature, and you will find a thick, syrupy drink which can be served in the scooped apples.
- Irish Coffee
Irish Coffee is one of the classic cocktails that gained its popularity all over the world. It offers a strong punch of coffee and booze together, which makes it perfect for chilly nights. The recipe for this amazing drink includes the basic ingredients like hot water, brown sugar, brewed coffee, Irish Whiskey, and a fair portion of whipped cream on top. This drink is quite tasty and highly recommended for coffee lovers who have a bad habit of drinking coffee in the middle of the night. How about you try this classic cocktail this time?
- Werther’s Hot Toddy
As mentioned before, Hot Toddies are quite popular around the world, and everyone wants to add a personal spin to this cocktail recipe. You can easily make a Hot Toddy at home with the help of bourbon, honey, and lime. However, if you are craving a caramel-based flavor, it is recommended to try out the Werther’s Caramel candies by crushing them and sticking them on the glass corner. The caramelized punch can make it taste even better with a bit of saltiness to balance it out.
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Well, this can be an acquired taste as a lot of people do not like the minty flavor combined with chocolate, while others enjoy the mint chocolates and ice creams as well. In this case, you will require three main ingredients, namely peppermint schnapps, chocolate liqueur, and hot chocolate. Put all the ingredients together in a pan and heat the mixture well without boiling it. When the mixture gets a smooth texture, serve it in glasses along with a big scoop of mint ice cream, which makes it taste even better. If you do not like minty flavors, you can gladly avoid them, too.
- Classic Eggnog
Eggnog is a kind of cocktail where you can either like it very much or hate it very much, as it is again a question of acquired taste. Just like the name suggests, the recipe involves raw eggs, and if you are not into eggs, it’s better to avoid it. This cocktail comes with a rich and creamy texture due to the eggs, and it can also heat you up with the extra bit of protein. You will need milk, cinnamon and nutmeg powder, vanilla essence, sugar, cream, your choice of rum or whiskey, along with an ample amount of egg yolks. Firstly, take milk and add the spices to boil and get a smooth texture while you beat the egg yolks along with sugar. Now add the milky mixture to it and stir it well along with the booze. Warm it up and then cool it again to serve it along with whipped cream.
- Oreo Mint Hot Chocolate
The flavor of Oreo took over the world, and it is no longer just a biscuit but has become a main ingredient for many desserts, shakes, and hot beverages. To make this cocktail, you will need mint Oreo cookies, mint vodka, and warm liquid white chocolate. Add all the ingredients to the blender and then heat up the mixture to make it warm. This hot chocolate comes with a white-grey color, and you can serve it along with roasted marshmallows to get that unique flavor.
- Salted Caramel White Hot Chocolate
Salted caramel is one of the most preferred flavors in shakes and chocolates, and you can utilize it to make boozy drinks as well. People say that salt and caramel are a match made in heaven, and it is time for you to try a heavenly cocktail. You can make this cocktail by using three main ingredients only, which are caramel sauce, Bailey’s Salted Caramel Irish Cream, and, lastly, a good amount of white chocolate. Combine the booze, white chocolate, and salt, and then add the mixture to a glass that is covered with caramel on the bottom. You can garnish it with caramel and cream as well. It is a heavy drink that guarantees to keep you warm.
- Dirty Chai Latte
‘Chai’ is the name of milk tea made in India, and Starbucks has successfully stolen it for its profit, and now, people can find Chai Latte in foreign countries. Foreigners seem to enjoy the flavor very much, and people are adding personal twists to it. You can make this beverage dirty by adding a fair portion of alcohol to it, but it has to blend well since there is a fair amount of milk too. It is highly recommended to use coffee liqueur for this recipe as it tastes great with a milky base.
- Pecan Pie Hot Chocolate
The winter season is also the season of festivals, when Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and many other occasions take place, and these occasions need a special drink like the Pecan Pie Hot Chocolate. This cocktail recipe requires only five ingredients in total, and that’s enough to make this killer cocktail. You need bourbon, cooled hot chocolate, pecans, and pecan pie filling, along with whipped cream to serve the drink. Just put all the ingredients in the blender and then reheat the mixture to get a silky smooth texture. Now, serve the hot chocolate in a glass, and add whipped cream on top of it.
- Toasted Coconut Hot Chocolate
It is a favorite holiday drink for many, and the addition of coconut adds more tropical holiday vibes to it. The combination of coconut and booze is quite amazing, and it does not require many ingredients. You just need rum, roasted coconut shreds, and hot chocolate that is blended with coconut milk. Add all the ingredients to a blender until the white chocolate gets a silky smooth texture. Now garnish it with whipped cream and toasted coconut.
- Vanilla Latte Hot Chocolate
Your new go-to boozy beverage can be this one, which you can drink in the morning as well. It is perfect for weekends or holiday mornings. Instead of making the latte, you can easily get it from Starbucks and add a boozy punch to it with the help of Kahlua liqueur. It is coffee-based booze, which goes perfectly with the vanilla flavor and makes it more aromatic. You can add cinnamon to get the little zing of spice.
- Pumpkin Spice Eggnog White Hot Chocolate
This is the ultimate winter cocktail and also a special drink that you can try on Halloween due to its addition of pumpkin. In this case, you will have to get the Pumpkin spice eggnog along with white hot chocolate, rum, and marshmallows with cinnamon. You would need to add all the ingredients to a pan and then heat the mixture. Serve it when it is warm, along with a marshmallow on top, which makes it even more attractive and delicious. You can use the cinnamon stick as your organic straw.
- Dirty Snowmen
The sound of the title of this cocktail is quite misleading, but it is definitely quite hot and seductive. When you cannot take the snow anymore, this boozy drink will help you melt all the snow. In order to make this beverage, you would need melted chocolate, chocolate shavings, vanilla ice cream, hot chocolate, Baileys, and whipped cream to top it off. You have to use the melted chocolate in the rim of the glass to stick the chocolate shavings on it. Now, add large scoops of ice cream to it, then pour hot chocolate into it, and lastly add the booze. It is one of the warmest drinks on the list, which is highly delicious as well.
- Spiced Cider Hot Toddies
There are many versions of hot toddies, and this is one of them. To make this toddy, you would need fresh apple cider, honey, fresh lemon juice, and lastly, your choice of spiced rum. You need to heat the cider and honey in a pot over medium heat and constantly stir it until it turns into a smooth, thick mixture. Now, cool the mixture to add rum and lemon juice to it. Your special toddy is ready, and now, you can serve it with lemon slices and a cinnamon stick. It is a strong yet refreshing beverage that can lift your spirits and mood as well.
- Andes Mint HotChata
Well, this cocktail is not for the faint-hearted as it consists of a lot of booze, and a single glass can make you dance. It might look innocent, but the beverage is addictive due to its delicious flavor. In order to make this, you will need whole milk, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, kosher salt, semisweet chocolate chips, peppermint schnapps, and, of course, RumChata. Firstly, you need to boil the milk over medium heat while adding and stirring cocoa powder and sugar into it. Keep stirring until it turns smooth, and then add the Rumchata and schnapps. Cool it down, but make sure to serve it warm for a better experience.
- Mudslide Hot Chocolate
If you are looking for a rich and tasty hot chocolate, then you must go for the mudslide. It is a rich cocktail that tastes really good and requires only a few ingredients. You will need whole milk, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, sugar, chocolate chips, and a total of three types of alcohol, namely Kahlua, Vodka, and Baileys. The recipe follows the same process as a classic hot chocolate, but the alcohol content is quite high in this case. So, be aware of it before having too many of it.
- Rumchata Eggnog
Once you learn to make your own eggnog, you can always booze it up with alcohol of your choice. In this case, you will need sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, egg yolks, milk, vanilla, heavy cream, and lastly, Rumchata. Combine cinnamon and sugar on a shallow plate. Moisten the rim of each glass with water and dip it into the cinnamon sugar. Once it is done, you can make your own eggnog and then cool it down to add Rumchata. Chill the mixture and then serve it through the glass that is already prepared for the purpose.
- Candy Cane-Kahlua Hot Chocolate
This is the perfect drink on Christmas Eve as it combines the flavor, taste, and popping color of a candy cane. Take whole milk and heavy cream to low heat the mixture, and then, you can add a candy cane to it to melt it down and add the candy flavor to it. Then add the chocolate and vanilla extract while continuously stirring it. Once it gets silky smooth, remove it from the heat and add Kahlua or any similar liqueur. Lastly, garnish it with whipped cream and a candy cane.
- Slow-Cooker Mulled Wine
Mulled wine is more like an alternative to sangria in summer. This slow-cooking recipe is extremely easy, and it only takes 30 minutes. This beverage can keep you warm without getting you too tipsy. Therefore, it can perfectly complete family dinners and celebrations where you cannot get completely wasted. It can be easily made with the help of a few ingredients available in your kitchen.
- Fireball Hot Toddies
Hot Toddies are the best solution to everything, and the Fireball Hot Toddy is a must-try. It can cure your cough and cold in the days of winter blues; there is a little bit of spicy punch to it. It follows the same hot toddy recipe, but the unique twist is Fireball here, which itself offers a distinctive and unique flavor. Make sure to make this cocktail on the days of celebration.
