Winter Cocktails

5 Easy Cocktail Ingredients That Transition Your Fall Favorites Into Winter Winners

categories: COCKTAILS, Holidays

December 22nd is the official start of Winter here in the United States.  Even though it’s been an unseasonable Fall and Winter with temperatures reaching 70 degrees, I’m still looking forward to creating traditional winter cocktails.

There are so many great traditional cocktails that come to mind when I think of Winter – Egg Nog, Hot Cider, Mulled Wine, Boozy Hot Cocoa and many more. Below are just a few of my favorites that I like to use in my cold weather cocktails.

Wintertrans

1. Chocolate – Many people know that my favorite cocktail of all time is a Chocolate Martini.  Chocolate drinks tend to be reserved for cold weather, especially a flavorful Boozy Hot Chocolate with lots of marshmallows and whipped cream. Creme De Cocoa is a sweet chocolate liqueur used to make a chocolate martini or it can be added to added to coffee or hot chocolate.  Check out the recipe below for my favorite Boozy Hot Chocolate.

1 oz. Pinnacle Marshmallow Vodka 

Add it to the Hot Chocolate

Top with CREAM Vanilla (Alcohol Infused) Whipped Cream

HCK2

2.  Mint – When I think of Christmas I think of candy canes, peppermint patties and those mint candies the old ladies would give us in church. Mint is definitely a staple of the Winter season.  It’s also a great ingredient to add to your cocktails. The Food Network has a perfect and easy to make Candy Cane Cocktail.

3.  Cinnamon – Cinnamon is a popular spice in the world of Winter Cocktails.  It’s great with cold or hot cocktails.  I like to make my own cinnamon simple syrup. It’s quick to make and easy to store and you can add it to just about anything. Below is one of my favorite cinnamon cocktails, it can be a Summer or Winter cocktail if you leave out the ice.

BlueChairRecipe

4. Cranberry – Cranberry season in the United States technically starts in November right around Thanksgiving.  That’s when we begin to see cranberry sauce and cranberries incorporated into holiday dishes.  We can continue this holiday tradition well into the Winter months.  Fresh cranberry cocktails with cranberry garnishes are all the rage, but if fresh cranberries aren’t your thing you can always add a splash of cranberry juice to your favorite cocktail. Bonappetit has a great New Years Eve Cranberry Champagne Cocktail. 

5.  Apple –  Apple how do I love thee? Let me count the ways – Apple Cider, Apple Sangria, Apple Martini and the list goes on. Apples are everywhere during the Winter months. You can always find apples at Supermarkets and Farmer’s Markets all year round. Apple is the perfect Fall/Winter fruit to include in any cold weather cocktail. One of my favorite to make is the Apple Cidecar.

3 oz Apple Cider

1  1/2 oz Brandy

1/2 oz Triple Sec or Cointreau

1/2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice or sweet & sour mix

PaulMasson3

Those are just a few of my favorites.  What are your favorites?

Wit & Wisdom: Winter Cocktails

categories: COCKTAILS

Last week I visited Wit & Wisdom Restaurant  in the Four Seasons Hotel (200 International Drive).   I’m always amazed at the lobby flower display because it’s always beautiful and different every time I visit.  They’ve already completed their Christmas decorations with not one, but three beautiful Christmas trees.

WW
Cocktails by the Fire at Wit & Wisdom

But my real love for Wit & Wisdom will always be their cocktails. The bar uses fresh ingredients in every cocktail. They take time to muddle, stir and strain each libation and add fresh garnish to the glass.  Last winter when I visited I ordered the Espresso Martini and my friend ordered the Hot Buttered Rum.

WitandWisdom
Espresso Martini and Hot Buttered Rum

These cocktails are perfect for those cold winter nights (or days).  Even though Wit and Wisdom is already in the holiday spirit with their Christmas decorations, they did not have a special Winter Cocktail Menu or daily winter cocktails available yet.  Technically the official start of Winter is Dec 22., so I was a little early.  The Espresso Martini can be made anytime, but the Hot Buttered Rum is made seasonally.

Hot Buttered Rum Recipe 

  • 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 ounces dark rum
  • 3/4 cups boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)

  1. Combine butter, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl and mix about 2 minutes.

  2. Combine the spiced butter mix with Rum and pour into glasses.  Pour 3/4 cup boiling water over each glass and stir. Top with whipped cream (optional)

Lemondrop
Wit and Wisdom “Lemon Drop Martini”

If you happen to visit Wit & Wisdom check out their specialty cocktail menu, you won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait to see what winter cocktails they will include on this season’s menu.

 

Swag Stag Toddy

categories: COCKTAILS

What I love best about Winter is the warm and comforting cocktails.   One of my favorite and possibly the most common hot cocktail is the Hot Toddy.   

The Hot Toddy is an easier drink to make because the main ingredients are Tea, Whiskey, and Lemon.  There are other variations of this drink that include cinnamon, honey, nutmeg and many other spices and fruit.   Some people also swap out the Whiskey and use Brandy instead.

StagSwagTea

For my recipe I used Red Stag Whiskey by Jim Beam. I picked this particular whisky because the flavor was “Honey Tea” – perfect combination for a Hot Toddy.

What you need:

1 1/2 oz Whiskey

3 oz Cup of hot Tea

1 tbs sugar

1 tsp honey

Lemon Wedge for Garnish

Add Teabag to glass

Top with boiling water and steep for 5 minutes

Add sugar and honey

Add a splash of lemon

Stir and ENJOY!

*Serves 1

 

%d bloggers like this: