Winter Cocktail Guide: Elevate Your Season with These Exquisite Drinks

The “I don’t need a reason to drink" season is officially here. Consider this your winter cocktail guide, one your guests, partners, and even your future self will thank you for. As temperatures dip and evenings grow slower and softer, winter becomes the perfect time to gather, unwind, and indulge in drinks that warm you from within. Whether you lean toward bold, spirit-forward pours or cosy, spice-led creations, there’s a cocktail for every winter mood. From fireside classics to contemporary twists, here’s a curated selection of exquisite cocktails designed to elevate the season and keep the chill firmly at bay. Ingredients • The Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve – 20 ml • Rompope – 20 ml • Cold brew – 80 ml • Cinnamon – for garnish Method Combine all ingredients in a mug. Serve hot or chilled, as preferred. Garnish with cinnamon. Warm | Wintery | Spicy | Fresh The Hot Toddy is the ultimate winter warmer, comforting, aromatic, and perfectly suited to chilly nights. Sweet honey, zingy ginger, and delicate spices come together under a pour of hot water, while Chivas XV adds a refined, warming depth. Chivas XV is a 15-year-old blended Scotch whisky, finished in French oak casks, delivering a rich, velvety expression of the Chivas house style. Ingredients • Chivas Regal XV – 40 ml • Lemon juice – 10 ml • Honey – 10 ml • Fresh ginger – 2 slices • Cinnamon stick – 1 • Star anise – 1 • Boiling water – to top • Lemon slice – garnish Method Place ginger, cinnamon, and star anise into a teacup. Add whisky, lemon juice, and honey. Top with boiling water and stir gently. Garnish with a lemon slice and serve. A close cousin of the Italian Negroni, the Boulevardier swaps gin for whiskey, resulting in a richer, more winter-appropriate aperitif. Think Parisian elegance rather than Venetian canals—though it works just as beautifully at home. Signature Recipe • Jameson Black Barrel – 30 ml • Red vermouth – 30 ml • Bitter aperitif – 30 ml Method Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir until well chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon zest. A take on a Kingston Negroni Ingredients • Idaaya – 30 ml • Bitter aperitif (such as Campari) – 30 ml • Sweet vermouth – 30 ml • Orange peel – garnish Method Add all ingredients to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until well chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with a long strip of orange peel. Citrusy | Warm | Zesty Ingredients • Beefeater Gin – 150 ml • Apple juice or cloudy apple cider – 500 ml • Orange – 1, sliced • Lemon peel – 1 strip • Cinnamon stick – 1 • Cloves – 3–4 • Honey or sugar – 1 tbsp (optional) • Dried rose petals or rose water – a few petals or 2–3 drops Method Add apple juice, citrus slices, cinnamon, cloves, and honey to a pot. Warm gently over low heat, do not boil. Add gin and rose petals or rose water. Heat for another 2–3 minutes until aromatic. Strain into a heat-proof mug and garnish with an orange slice. Floral Pour Base Ingredients • Gin – 300 ml • Lillet Blanc – 100 ml • Kaffir lime leaves – 4 • Jasmine tea – 6 g • Lavender tea buds – 1.5 g Method Combine all ingredients in a container. Macerate for 4 hours. Remove kaffir lime leaves after 2 hours; allow jasmine and lavender to continue macerating. Strain and store. This infusion forms the Floral Pour base. Ingredients • Floral Pour – 30 ml • Gin – 15 ml • Lillet Blanc – 15 ml • Sugar syrup – 17.5 ml • Lime acid solution – 15 ml Method Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice Stir until well chilled. Swipe Left For Next Video Strain into a Nick & Nora glass.