I know, I know. Whiskey purists will roll their eyes at you if you suggest anything other than sipping whiskey on the rocks. But with the colder weather right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about stepping up your winter cocktail game. A glass of whiskey neat will certainly warm you up, but have you ever considered a delicious winter-themed, whiskey-based cocktail? We’ve brought together a list of some of our favorite whiskey recipes to try out when the temperature starts to drop. Throw some logs on the fire, grab your favorite book or your favorite girl, and enjoy!
If You Like Lemon and Honey: Try a Hot Toddy
There is nothing like a warm drink to help you turn up the heat after a cold day. With the cold days of winter come the dreaded winter cold. When you’ve got a bit of a cold or a sore throat, a Hot Toddy can be a great remedy to soothe what ails. Hot Toddies have been a home remedy for whatever ails you for centuries – we may not be doctors but that sounds like our kind of medicine!
For a spirit, we recommend using bourbon. Bourbon has more sweet, vanilla undertones than a Scotch or Irish whiskey. It’ll bring out the natural sugars of the honey.
Ingredients:
1 oz of bourbon
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
¼ cup boiling water
1 cinnamon stick
1 slice of fresh lemon
How to Make
Put the kettle on. While the kettle is boiling, add the bourbon, honey, and lemon juice to a mug. Feel free to add more or less bourbon, depending on how strong you like your drinks. When the water is boiled, add the hot water to a mug (maybe this cheeky mug?) and stir. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a fresh lemon wedge. Enjoy!
Do You Like Apple Cider? You’ll Love Our Candied Apple Cocktail
Do you like hot apple cider? Who doesn’t is the better question! Although you can always add a bit of bourbon to a hot apple cider, we recommend whipping up A Candied Apple as a boozy version of the classic winter drink.
Ingredients
4 oz Apple cider
1 oz lemon juice
1.5 oz whiskey, preferably Tennessee whiskey
4 dashes Angosta bitters
1 dash vanilla extract
1 slice of fresh lemon
1 dash of cinnamon powder
How to Make
Add the apple cider and lemon juice into a sauce pan and heat. Do not boil! Add the whiskey and vanilla extract. Stir for a few seconds. Take off the heat and pour into a mug. To finish, add the Angosta bitters and sprinkle with cinnamon powder. Garnish with a slice of lemon, enjoy!
This Isn’t Your Childhood Hot Chocolate: The Spiked Hot Chocolate
Has a thick and chocolatey hot chocolate always been your go-to drink when it’s cold outside? Now that you’ve grown up, it’s time for your drink choices to grow up as well. This spiked hot chocolate recipe has all the delicious chocolatey goodness of your youth, but with all the booze-y goodness any adult would enjoy. Make this uber-decadent drink to warm you up after an ice skate – it’s the perfect drink to sip around an open fire.
There are two ways to make this drink. For the culinary kings, you can make the hot chocolate mix from scratch. If you’re not as useful in the kitchen or you just want to make this drink on the fly – feel free to skip the first few steps and just use a powdered hot chocolate mix. If you choose to use a powdered hot chocolate mix, we recommend using milk instead of water.
Ingredients (makes two servings)
2 cups milk
½ cup dark chocolate
½ cup milk chocolate
Cinnamon powder
3 oz whiskey
A garnish of your choice – we recommend whipped cream, marshmallows, or just a dusting of cinnamon.
How to Make
Place the milk in a saucepan and heat at a low temperature, stirring frequently. When the milk begins to bubble and steam, reduce the heat and add the chocolate and a large dash of cinnamon. Stir until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is creamy. Add the whiskey. Enjoy!
Peppermint Hot Chocolate: It Tastes Like the Holidays, but Better!
This has always been one of our favorite wintertime drinks – it tastes like a peppermint chocolate in a drink! The steps are very similar to the above hot chocolate – just add a few extra ingredients and you have a warm, rich, minty beverage.
Ingredients (Makes two servings)
2 cups milk
½ cup dark chocolate
½ cup milk chocolate
Cinnamon powder
2 oz whiskey
2 oz baileys
1 oz crème de menthe
How to Make
Place the milk in a saucepan and heat at a low temperature, stirring frequently. When the milk begins to bubble and steam, reduce the heat and add the chocolate and a large dash of cinnamon. Stir until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is creamy. Add in the baileys and stir for one more moment. Add the whiskey and crème de menthe, and cheers! You have yourself a delicious minty hot chocolate. This one is a great drink to serve at a party as an accompaniment to dessert. It’s sweet enough to satisfy any sweet tooth, but it also has the perfect kick.
All you need to whip up these delicious cocktails can be found by browsing through SipDark.com. For all your home bartending needs – try out one of our classic cocktail bar sets. Included the kit is everything you need to whip up a Hot Toddy, Spike Hot Chocolate, or any of the above recipes, including a stainless steel strainer and a cocktail stirrer. If you’re planning on making one of the hot drinks mentioned above, we don’t recommend serving it in your traditional glass rocks glass. Serve it in your favorite mug. If you don’t have one – why not serve it in this cheeky mug?