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10 Hot Cocktail Recipes to Make Today

You can mix up these warming beverages right in your home.

Written by
Olivia French
Updated 11/12/20
Heated Affair cocktail
Heated Affair Image:

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

If summer is a distant memory, and spring seems too far away, you can still enjoy some warmth with a hot cocktail. Because while putting on another sweater might technically warm you up, it won’t block the bitter cold with the therapeutic efficiency of a stiff, steaming drink.

Rum, whiskey, tequila and all manner of toddies go down easily during long, cold evenings. Even more so when they’re enlivened with spices and winter fruits. So throw another log on the fire, and then further heat things up with these 10 warm cocktails you can make at home.

  • Mama, I’m Coming Home

    Mama I'm Coming Home cocktail

    Jennifer Knott

    This nutty cocktail is like a boozy pecan pie warmed and poured into a glass. Pecan-infused scotch is simmered with port, apple cider, honey syrup, cinnamon and cloves for a warming concoction that’s a soothing pleasure to drink. Best of all, it’s garnished with a soft caramel candy that will make you feel like a kid again—or at least a kid at heart.

    Get the recipe.

  • Hot Toddy

    Hot Toddy

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Gotta save room for the ultimate hot cocktail. Known for curing colds and being the best way to warm yourself from the inside, the Hot Toddy is on winter cocktail menus across the world. The flavor is easy to improve—or even improvise—with additional fruits, liquors and spices, but start with this classic combination of whiskey (you decide whether to use bourbon, scotch, rye or Irish), lemon and cloves.

    Get the recipe.

  • Tea & Sympathy

    Tea & Sympathy cocktail

    Liquor.com

    It’s tea time. And at this tea party, chai goes tipsy when mixed with cachaça and ginger liqueur. Lighten everything with some fresh lemon juice, and garnish with a lemon wheel stuffed with cloves and a cinnamon stick. Of course, the best presentation is in a teacup, but any mug will do.

    Get the recipe.

  • Boozy Hot Chocolate

    Boozy Hot Chocolate

     Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This boozy hot cocoa definitely isn’t for kids. Finely chopped semisweet chocolate mixes with hot milk to create a base for your favorite spirit. Try it spiked with Kahlúa, Baileys Irish Cream, peppermint schnapps, green Chartreuse or bourbon. No matter what you mix it with, though, be sure to top with plenty of marshmallows.

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 5 of 10 below.

  • Duck Hunt

    Duck Hunt cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Carnivores, this soup-like cocktail is a dream come true! Duck stock lends its rich, meaty flavor to the savory drink, which is seasoned with salt and pepper. Dolin Génépy des Alpes liqueur and absinthe add the necessary dose of booze.

    Get the recipe.

  • Francophile

    Francophile cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This French cocktail combines France’s calvados (apple brandy) with red wine from Rioja, cinnamon syrup, lemon and water. The resulting cocktail is deep pink, subtly sweet and perfect for Paris-themed parties (or any parties, really) or sipping on your own.

    Get the recipe.

  • Hot Buttered Rum

    Hot Buttered Rum

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    It's a winter classic for a reason: This combination of rum and a gently winter-spiced ice cream-based batter, when heated with boiling water, is a warming, comforting mixture evoking the best kind of boozy nostalgia.

    Get the recipe.

  • Irish Coffee

    Irish Coffee

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Coffee plus whiskey: What's not to love? Making the best rendition of this drink is a little more complicated than simply tossing a glug of booze into your morning (or evening) brew, but not much; it takes brown sugar and whipped cream to make this mix really shine.

    Get the recipe.

    Continue to 9 of 10 below.

  • Pumpkin Toddy

    Pumpkin Toddy

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    This cocktail, which was created by bartender Jane Danger and originally appeared in Jim Meehan's book "The PDT Cocktail Book: The Complete Bartender's Guide from the Celebrated Speakeasy," is full of fall flavors. Apple brandy and rye whiskey join lemon juice, maple syrup, pumpkin puree and Angostura bitters to produce a drink that evokes the best of autumn.

    Get the recipe.

  • Heated Affair

    Heated Affair cocktail

    Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

    Tequila works as well in hot winter cocktails as it does in cool summer drinks. Mix the agave spirit with spiced apple cider (made with your choice of spices). When warm, pour the mixture into an Irish Coffee glass, then add a float of heavy cream and nutmeg for a dash of spiced richness.

    Get the recipe.