Cocktail & Other Recipes Preparation Style Hot

11 Hot Boozy Drinks to Try Right Now

What better way to ward off winter’s chill?

Written by
Olivia French
Published 01/11/21
Charleston Breakfast Coffee
Charleston Breakfast Coffee Image:

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Sometimes, you just need something warm and boozy to help you unwind after a long day. But it’s time to think beyond traditional Hot Toddies, Irish Coffees, Hot Buttered Rums and booze-spiked Hot Chocolates. The world of hot cocktails is wide, and we’ve rounded up drinks that prove you can turn anything from tequila to Tiki drinks into something perfect for the winter months. Don’t believe us? Try one of these 11 hot cocktails and see for yourself.

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  • Blue Blazer

    Blue Blazer

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This 19th-century Jerry Thomas drink takes a classic Hot Toddy and kicks it up a notch with the addition of actual fire. Sugar, cask-strength scotch and boiling water are combined, then lit on fire and poured between two mugs in a spectacular display.

    Get the recipe.

  • Last-Minute Mulled Wine

    Last-Minute Mulled Wine

    H. Joseph Ehrmann

    This recipe makes it quick and easy to throw together mulled wine on a moment’s notice. Using ingredients you probably already have around the house—fruity red wine, bourbon or brandy, star anise, lemon peel and sugar—all you have to do is throw it all into a saucepan until warm and serve in mugs or punch cups. Garnish with cinnamon sticks and enjoy.

    Get the recipe.

  • Pumpkin Toddy

    Pumpkin Toddy

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    The apple, syrup and winter spice notes in this drink created by bartender Jane Danger while at Please Don’t Tell (PDT) fill this toddy with seasonal flavors. It combines apple brandy and rye whiskey with lemon juice, maple syrup, pumpkin puree and Angostura bitters, topped with boiling water and garnished with grated cinnamon, for a festive winter treat.

    Get the recipe.

  • Hot Caramel Buttered Rum

    Hot Caramel Buttered Rum cocktail

    Liquor.com

    Think Hot Buttered Rum couldn’t get any more indulgent? Think again. This dessert-in-a-glass spin on the classic is the rich and sweet drink you’ll want to drink at the end of every night. Full of warming spices such as cinnamon and cloves and spiked with rum and caramel vodka, you’ll be looking forward to your next one even before you finish your first.

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 5 of 11 below.

  • Heated Affair

    Heated Affair cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Let’s heat things up, shall we? Añejo tequila may not be the first spirit you think of when you consider making hot cocktails, but it displays its flexibility in this recipe. When mixed with hot spiced apple cider and topped with heavy cream, nutmeg and a cinnamon stick, tequila proves that it works just as well in your winter warmers as it does in your summer refreshers.

    Get the recipe.

  • Apple Toddy

    Apple Toddy

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    How do you like them apples? If the answer is baked, this is the cocktail for you. Baked apples are a unique cocktail ingredient, and they add a delightful sweetness to applejack, cognac or bourbon. Top it all with water and garnish with grated nutmeg, and revel in the taste of apple pie. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Tom & Jerry

    Tom & Jerry

    David Wondrich

    Indulge a little with this classic cocktail. The homemade batter, made with eggs, rum and vanilla, adds a richness to dark rum, cognac and whole milk to create a drink that’s incredibly creamy and unbelievably delicious. Don’t forget to top it all with a light dusting of nutmeg, cloves and allspice to keep the warming going all the way through. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Emerald Isle of the Caribbean

    Emerald Isle of the Caribbean

    Paul McGee

    Your usual Irish Coffee goes full-on Tiki in this spin. Break out the 15-year-old rum and mix it with cinnamon syrup, velvet falernum and freshly brewed coffee. Then, garnish with Tiki whipped cream, which is basically cream that has been spiked with St. Elizabeth allspice dram, bitters and a little bit of sugar to complete the “winter in the tropics” vibe that’s so uniquely delicious.

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 9 of 11 below.

  • Whisky Skin

    Whisky Skin cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Scotch mixes with demerara sugar, boiling water and a lemon peel in this classic take on a Hot Toddy. We promised above not to include any typical versions of popular hot cocktails, so what’s special and different about this one? The fact that it calls for a fine single-malt scotch such as Ardbeg or The Macallan.

    Get the recipe.

  • Hot Apple Pie

    Hot Apple Pie cocktail

    Sheraton

    Instead of eating your pie, you should definitely be drinking it. After all, mixing up a glass of something delicious is far easier than baking an entire dessert. Combine calvados, mead, apple juice and cinnamon-infused honey in a saucepan until just warm, strain and serve in an Irish Coffee mug garnished with dried apple slices and a cinnamon stick. 

    Get the recipe.

  • Charleston Breakfast Coffee

    Charleston Breakfast Coffee

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Take a trip down south without leaving your home with this spin on an Irish Coffee. Sorghum whiskey stars alongside demerara sugar and dark roast coffee to make a version of the classic that’s grain-forward and slightly richer. Top it all with homemade soft-whipped cream.

    Get the recipe.