Ten Top Winter Warmer Cocktails

Whether cosying up on the sofa for a night in with a toasty fire and your favourite film or entertaining friends and family during the festive season, our top ten picks of winter warmer cocktails offer the perfect accompaniment for all winter occasions.

Blizzard Cocktail

This cocktail is a really toasty and tasty winter warmer to curl up with when you’re feeling chilled. With a creamy blend of whiskey, hazelnut, Irish cream, coffee and whipped cream, cold nights will be just a passing memory!

Ingredients:
50ml Irish Whiskey or dark rum
15ml hazelnut liqueur, e.g. Frangelico
15ml Irish Cream Liqueur, e.g. Baileys
Pre-made Hot Coffee
Whipped Cream or Ice cream

Method:
Simply stir together the liqueurs and whiskey/rum in a glass coffee mug (if you have one), top up with the hot coffee and add a spoon of whipped cream or a small scoop of ice cream.

Eggnog

This very popular Christmas cocktail (especially in the United States and Canada) offers a unique blend of milk, bourbon, sugar and egg. Eggnog has quite an unusual taste and is (much like marmite) either loved or hated- so why not give it a try?

Ingredients:
1 egg 60ml Milk
45ml Bourbon 
1 heaped tablespoon of powdered sugar
½ tsp Vanilla extract
Ground nutmeg

Method:
Beat the egg until frothy and gradually fold in the sugar and vanilla extract -continually beating. Then stir in the milk and bourbon. Pour into a chilled glass and garnish with nutmeg.

CC Image “that nog” courtesy of Nate Bolt on Flickr

Hot Buttered Rum

There are plenty of recipes for this one but the one we’ve picked is warm, sweet and utterly delicious!

Ingredients:
25g softened butter
1tbsp maple syrup
Orange peel or rind
30ml of dark/golden rum – Morgan’s spiced is a nice sweet option
50ml Boiling water
1 cinnamon stick

Method:
Beat together butter and maple syrup in a bowl, once smooth work in rum and orange rind/peel. Pour boiling water into a bowl big enough to whisk and add rum butter mixture. Whisk until blended, place cinnamon stick into your chosen container (glass/mug/glass mug) and pour in the hot buttered rum mixture, stirring with the cinnamon stick.

Hot Milk Punch

As simple as they come, hot milk punch is a beautifully smooth and incredibly warming winter cocktail.

Ingredients:
30ml Dark rum
30ml Brandy
1 tsp caster sugar
Milk
Nutmeg

Method:
Heat milk in a pan while you mix together the brandy, rum and sugar in a mug (glass or otherwise) until the sugar dissolves. Once the milk is warm enough, pour into the mug and sprinkle with nutmeg and Voila: winter warmer cocktail!

Christmas Cookie

Far from your standard Christmas cookie, this cocktail is a deliciously sweet dessert drink with a bit of a punch….

Ingredients:
30ml Peppermint Schnapps
30ml Coffee Liqueur e.g. Kahlua/Tia Maria
30ml Irish Cream e.g. Carolans/Baileys

Method:
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake thoroughly. Pour into a chilled Martini glass.

Monte Cristo

Another nice and simple but equally delicious warming cocktail, perfect for an after dinner digestif.

Ingredients:
120ml of hot coffee
30ml Coffee Liqueur e.g. Kahlua
15ml Orange Liqueur e.g. Grand Marnier Whipped Cream

Method:
Simply pour the liqueurs into the coffee, stir and top with whipped cream.

Chocolate Kiss

This one is for the chocolate lovers with a nice blend of mouth-watering liqueurs and cream.

Ingredients:
30ml Coffee liqueur
15ml Irish cream
15ml Frangelico
15ml Crème de Cacao (dark)
15ml Cream

Method:
Pour into cocktail shaker with ice, shake up and pour into a cocktail glass. If this Chocolate Kiss is a bit too strong for your taste, and alternative version is to make a hot chocolate, mixing in 15ml of coffee liqueur and 45ml peppermint schnapps, and then topped with whipped cream.

Angel Kiss

This is a strong one and can be the perfect Christmas aperitif/digestif if poured into a pousse-café glass to keep the layers.

Ingredients:
15ml Crème de Cacao
15ml Sloe Gin
15ml Brandy
15ml Cream

Method:
Carefully pour each ingredient in one at a time (in the order above) so that the drink layers and doesn’t mix.

Hot Apple Pie

With a deliciously warm and sweet blend of hot cider, cinnamon and Tuaca, the Hot Apple Pie cocktail is perfect to curl up with by the fire or with your favourite Christmas movie!

Ingredients:
Apple cider
60ml Tuaca liqueur (vanilla-orange flavoured liqueur)
1 Cinnamon stick and a pinch of powdered
Whipped cream
Nutmeg

Method:
Heat your cider (adjust amount to however many mugs you have to fill) and combine hot cider with Tuaca in a glass mug and stir with cinnamon stick. Garnish with whipped cream and sprinkle nutmeg and cinnamon to complete!

CC Image “Hot Apple Pie” courtesy of Lemon168 on Flickr

Tom and Jerry

This is the ultimate winter warmer cocktail mixing together sweet, frothy and creamy in a classic blend that is utterly divine.

Ingredients:
1 egg 15ml Simple Syrup or 1tsp powdered sugar 30ml Dark rum 30ml Cognac or Brandy Hot Milk – you can use water but it won’t be as thick. Grated nutmeg

Method:
Separate egg white from the yolk and beat them separately. The fold the beaten eggs together and place in a glass mug/Irish coffee glass. Then add the sugar/simple syrup, rum and brandy/Cognac, and top up with the hot milk. Stir well and add the grated nutmeg for garnish.