The holidays mean so many different things to so many different people.
Like family-time.
And the spirit of giving.
Or getting a nice buzz on while staying cozy through the powers of a great hot cocktail.
We won’t tell you which camp we fall into precisely.
But we don’t believe in saying the word “cocktail” unless we’ve got one.
And in this case, we’ve got 12 of the craziest warm winter cocktail variations we could find.
Last year’s drink: Mulled wine. It was alright.
This year’s drink: Mulled wine margaritas, in which tequila reposado merges with a hot medley of red wine, fruits, sugar, and spices. It should only take you a little more than an hour to prepare. Here’s the recipe.
Last year’s drink: Hot chocolate. The kids loved it.
This year’s drink: Butterscotch spiced rum hot chocolate, in which you simply mix 1.5 oz. of spiced rum (like Sailor Jerry or Captain Morgan) with 1.5 oz. of butterscotch schnapps, 3oz. of prepared hot chocolate, a dash of orange bitters, and optional garnishes of a miniature candy cane and whipped cream.
Last year’s drink: Hot toddies, it only took three to cure your sniffles.
This year’s drink: The Islay Scotch hot toddy, in which you replace the toddy’s typical American whiskey with a face-melting whisky from the peatiest part of Scotland, using 1/ ½ to 2 oz. of a strong varietal such as Laphroaig 10 or Ardberg 10 with 3 ounces of boiling water, a teaspoon of demera sugar, and a hearty squeeze of half a lemon with a lemon twist. Just one sniff will fix whatever ails you.
Last year’s drink: Apple cider, which tasted a lot like apple juice if you left it in a car in Death Valley for a day.
This year’s drink: Spiked crockpot caramel apple cider, a mélange of vanilla vodka, caramel ice cream topping, and apple cider, which can be prepared in your crockpot and topped with shortbread Christmas cookies. The 2-4 hour recipe can be found right here.
Last year’s drink: Ginger tea, it kept you warm but it kept you sober
This year’s drink: The Remontel, a smoky, slightly sweet mezcal-laced hot toddy alternative with ginger beer, green chartreuse, and chocolate mole bitters. Here’s how you make it.
Last year’s drink: Grog, though you’re still not 100% sure what that meant.
This year’s drink: Hot coffee grog, a 1950’s classic that gives a nitro boost to both your morning mud and sunset cocktail. We like this simple recipe from Serious Eats that taps two types of rum.
Last year’s drink: Robitussin to combat your cold.
This year’s drink: The Jugo Antigripal, a sort of ginger basil mezcal hot toddy that should be copyrighted by Pfizer. Here’s the hot lead.
Last year’s drink: Sacramental wine, which cleansed your sins but you’re your consciousness.
This year’s drink: The White Nun, a warm, legendary twist on the White Russian. All you do is heat up 1 oz. of heavy cream, ¾ oz. of whole milk, and an oz. of coffee syrup in a saucepan. Once heated, add 1 oz., of coffee liqueur and ¾ oz. of brandy and pour into a mug. Whisky ¼ oz. of heavy cream over medium heat to top your drik.
Last year’s drink: A martini, which always works but left you pretty chilly.
This year’s drink: The Hot Gin Old-Fashioned, a simple solution of 2 oz. Hendrick’s gin, 2 oz. hot water, ¼ oz. of simple sugar, and 3 dashes of orange bitters heated in a pan until drinkably hot. Garnish with an orange peel.
Last year’s drink: German Gluwein, which you left you desiring even greater depth.
This year’s drink: Swedish Glog, a similar brew of hot wine and brandy with even more dynamic complexity through its employ of dried fruits and nuts. Here’s how you make both so you can decide for yourself.
Last year’s drink: Irish coffee, in which you literally tipped the closest bottle of booze into your coffee cup when no one else was looking.
This year’s drink: Holiday Coffee, which allows you to use all those leftover candy canes dangling off the trees. Just take a warm glass and add 1.5 oz. of a strong, distinctive U.S. whiskey with ½ oz. of the peppermint syrup we’re about to tell you how to make. Top the glass with hot coffee and whipped cream. To make the peppermint syrup: Crush candy canes until you have one level cup. Heat that with one cup of water until the candy liquefies then let cool.
Last year’s drink: Hot buttered rum, which you honestly didn’t think could be improved upon.
This year’s drink: Ice Cream Brown Sugar-Battered Hot Buttered Rum, a simple curveball with vanilla ice cream making a creamier cocktail that doesn’t even sacrifice the butter. Ready, set, go.
We saved that one for last, just to be fair to the other drinks.
But no matter what you make it, we suggest these cocktails are best when served with and to your life companions.
Here’s wishing you a wonderful and safe holiday season from The Bone Guys.
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