Hot Cocktail Recipes for Cold Weather

Winter calls for darker spirits and warmer drinks on your bar menus. Whether it's a hot cider, hot chocolate, or a traditional hot toddy, your guests will reach for these warming cocktails this winter season.

Add one or a whole section of hot cocktails to your bar and restaurant menus this winter.

 

hot chocolate cocktail recipe
Photo & recipe: Ilegal

Ilegal Spicy Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

3 cups water

1 cup milk or alternative milk

1 bar chocolate (Ibarra)

1.5 oz Ilegal Joven or Reposado

0.5 oz Ancho chili liqueur

2 oz hot chocolate mix

0.5 oz agave nectar

1 dash Angostura bitters

Directions: 

  1. Add water, milk, and chocolate to a pot and bring to a boil. 
  2. Let boil until chocolate dissolves and let cool. 
  3. To coffee mug: add Ilegal Mezcal, agave, chili liqueur and bitters, fill with chocolate mix and garnish with cinnamon stick.

 

hot cocktail recipe
Photo & recipe: Erin Hayes and Kelsey Ramage, Co-founders of Krampus Cove

Red Rum-Puh-Pum-Pum

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva

1 oz Buttered Rum Batter

1 oz Mommenpop Blood Orange

0.25 oz Amontillado

6 oz Hot Water

Garnish: Cinnamon Stick

Directions: 

  1. Heat water, rum and Mommenpop Blood Orange. 
  2. Then, add butter mix to the mug and top with a heated batch.
  3. Use a wand to blend.

 

hot cocktail recipe
Photo & recipe: Bear Fight Whiskey

Bear Fight Hot Chocolate 

Ingredients:

1 part Bear Fight Whiskey 

6 Parts Hot Chocolate 

Directions: 

  1. Mix ingredients together.
  2. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.  

 

 

hot cocktail recipe
Photo & recipe: Monin

Hot Cinnamon Apple Crisp Cider

Ingredients:

3/4 oz Monin Cinnamon Bun Syrup

1 1/2 oz spiced bourbon

1/2 oz lemon juice

5 oz. hot apple cider

Garnish: Cinnamon stick, Monin caramel sauce, cinnamon sugar, apple

Directions:

  1. Fill serving glass full of hot water to warm glass.
  2. Discard hot water and pour ingredients into serving glass in order listed.
  3. Stir gently to mix.
  4. Add garnish and serve.

 

hot cocktails
Photo & recipe: Jake Nicholson, General Manager at The Expat

Zen Hot Toddy

Ingredients:

.5 oz Honey Syrup

.25 oz Lemon Juice

2 dashes of Scrappy's Cardamom Bitters

Hot water

1.5oz Uji-Houjicha Green Tea-Infused iichiko Saiten

  • 4 tablespoons of Uji-Houjicha Green Tea
  • 1 bottle of iichiko Saiten

Garnish: Lemon Twist

Directions:

For the Uji-Houjicha Green Tea-Infused iichiko Saiten:

  1. Add the green to the bottle of iichiko Saiten.
  2. Allow to infuse for four hours.
  3. Strain and store in a cool, dark place.

For the cocktail:

  1. Add all ingredients to a mug, top with hot water, stir gently.
  2. Garnish with a lemon twist.

 

hot cocktail recipe
Photo & recipe: Monin

Ginger Chai Toddy

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz bourbon

3/4 oz Monin Chai Tea Concentrate

1 pump Monin Ginger Concentrated Flavor

1/4 oz fresh lemon juice

2 dashes orange bitters

9 oz hot water

Garnish: Candied ginger, Sage, Rosemary sprig

Directions:

  1. Pour ingredients into serving glass in order listed.
  2. Stir gently to mix.
  3. Add garnish and serve.

 

hot cocktail recipe
Photo & recipe: The Family Jones

The Family Jones Earl Grey Hot Toddy

Ingredients:

3 ounces hot water

1 ½ ounces The Family Jones Earl Grey Juniper Jones Gin

¾ ounce cinnamon simple syrup

¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

Directions:

  1. Add all ingredients to a mug and stir before serving hot.

 

hot cocktail recipe
Photo & recipe: Monin

Broth Fashioned

Ingredients:

1/2 oz Monin Hot Honey Syrup

2 oz. bourbon

1 dash bitters

4 oz Beef Broth

Directions:

  1. Combine ingredients, except stock, in serving cup.​
  2. Stir and set aside.​
  3. Heat stock in soup pot on stove until simmering.​
  4. Pour hot stock into serving cup, stirring gently.​
  5. Garnish.

 

hot cocktail recipe
Photo & recipe: Empress 1908

Apple Blossom

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin

.5 oz Rich Demerara Syrup

4 oz Hot Apple Cider

.5 oz Orange Blossom Water

Garnish: Clove-Studded Orange Swath

Directions: 

  1. Rinse a warmed up mug with Orange Blossom Water and discard excess. 
  2. Add Elderflower Rose Gin and Rich Demerara Syrup and top with Hot Apple Cider. 
  3. Stir gently to incorporate and garnish with Clove-Studded Orange Swath. 

 

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