13 Cold-Weather Riffs on Classic co*cktails to Get You Through Winter (2024)

"Using a split base of cognac and rum adds a depth of flavor and makes it a little more delicate. You still get that warm, sippable co*cktail, but it doesn't beat you over the head."

Ingredients
• 1 oz cognac
• 1 oz aged rum
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 5 dashes bitters

Directions
Add ingredients to 3 ounces of boiling water in a mug. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a lemon wheel studded with cloves.

For a traditional Hot Toddy: Mix 2 oz bourbon with .5 oz honey and a splash of lemon juice, then combine with hot water or herbal tea—we like Chai. Garnish with lemon. Read more on the Hot Toddy here.

"It's a traditional Whiskey Sour, but to make it a New York Sour, you float red wine—Côtes du Rhône or Beaujolais, something with a backbone to it—on top. The rich aromatics push it into winter."

Ingredients
• 2 oz bourbon
• .75 oz lemon juice
• .75 oz simple syrup
• red wine float

Directions
Shake the bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup with ice and strain into a double Old Fashioned glass over ice. Top with a red wine float.

For a traditional Whiskey Sour: Shake 2 oz bourbon, 2/3 oz lemon juice, 1 tsp superfine sugar, and an egg white well with cracked ice. Strain into a chilled co*cktail glass, then garnish with a maraschino cherry and/or lemon wedge. Read more on the Whiskey Sour here.

"It's just like a traditional Margarita, but with an egg white. And we split the base between reposado tequila and mezcal. It gives you those summer flavors, but with the thickness of the body and the smoke of the mezcal."

Ingredients
• 1 oz reposado (slightly aged) tequila
• 1 oz mezcal (like Del Maguey Vida)
• 1 oz lime juice
• .75 oz simple syrup
• 1 egg white

Directions
Shake ingredients without ice, then shake again with ice. Strain into a coupe glass and serve up with a salted rim.

For a traditional Margarita: Chill a co*cktail glass, then rub its rim with lime juice and dip it in coarse salt. Shake 2 oz tequila, 1 oz Cointreau, and 1 oz lime juice with ice, then strain into the glass over fresh ice. Read more on the Margarita here.

"It's really beautiful, and perfect for an elegant party. It elevates the pomp and circ*mstance of your traditional glass of Champagne."

Ingredients
• 4 oz sparkling wine
• 1 sugar cube
• Angostura bitters

Directions
Soak the sugar cube in Angostura bitters and drop into a champagne flute. Fill with sparkling wine (a dry prosecco will also do). Garnish with a lemon twist.

Read more on the Champagne co*cktail here.

"Winter isn't about eliminating refreshing drinks, but there are things that can make them more seasonally appropriate. By swapping the gin for the richer, silkier flavors of the cognac, it turns it into a more wintery version of itself."

Ingredients
• 1 oz cognac
• .5 oz lemon juice
• .5 oz simple syrup
• splash of sparkling wine

Directions
Shake the cognac, lemon juice, and simple syrup with ice. Strain into a Champagne flute, and top with Prosecco or another dry sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon twist.

For a traditional French 75: Shake 2 oz London dry gin, 1 tsp superfine sugar, and .5 oz lemon juice well with ice. Strain into a Collins glass half-full of cracked ice, then top off with Champagne. Read more on the French 75 here.

"With the cranberry and allspice you get those more traditional winter flavors and scents, but it drinks like a tall, easy Collins."

Ingredients
• 1.5 oz vodka
• 1 oz Cointreau
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1 oz cranberry juice
• 1 bar spoon of allspice dram

Directions
Shake ingredients with ice. Strain into a Collins glass over ice and top with club soda. Garnish with a lemon wheel studded with cloves.

For a traditional Tom Collins: Shake 2 oz London dry gin, 1 oz lemon juice, and .5 oz simple syrup with ice, then strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice and top with club soda. Read more on the Tom Collins here.

"You take the typical white rum out of a Daiquiri and replace it with an aged rum that has those caramel notes. It's still balanced, it's light and effervescent, but it has that rich spiciness to it."

Ingredients
• 2 oz aged rum (like Diplomatico Venezuelan)
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• .75 oz simple syrup

Directions
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Serve up with no garnish.

For a traditional Daiquiri: Squeeze .5 oz lime juice into a shaker, stir in .5 tsp superfine sugar, and then add 2 oz white rum. Shake well with cracked ice, then strain into a chilled co*cktail glass. Read more on the Daiquiri here.

"It's a classic, with a blended scotch paired with ginger, honey, lemon, and that smoky Laphroaig misted over the top. It fits so perfectly with the season."

Ingredients
• 2 oz blended scotch
• 1 oz lemon juice
• .5 oz honey syrup
• .5 oz ginger syrup
• .25 oz Laphroaig scotch

Directions
Shake the blended scotch, lemon juice, and syrups with ice and strain into a double old fashioned glass with a single large ice cube. Pour Laphroaig over the back of a bar spoon so that it floats atop the drink, and finish with a lemon wheel.

"It excels at what the Scandinavians do, which is cope with a cold, long, dark winter. The aquavit is a little herbaceous, which gives it a great caraway and rye background."

Ingredients
• 2 oz aquavit (like Linie)
• .75 oz sweet vermouth
• .25 oz cherry spirit (like Leroux Kirschwasser)
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters

Directions
Stir ingredients with ice, then strain over ice into a double old fashioned glass. Garnish with an orange twist or cherries.

For a traditional Manhattan: Stir 2 oz rye, 1 oz sweet vermouth, and 2 dashes Angostura bitters well with cracked ice, then strain into a chilled co*cktail glass and garnish with a co*cktail cherry. Read more on the Manhattan here.

"Using a sweet vermouth instead of dry, and adding a little bit of maraschino, makes the whole thing so cozy. It's the kind of Martini you'd pull up next to a fire and drink."

Ingredients
• 2 oz gin
• .75 oz sweet vermouth
• 1 bar spoon of maraschino
• 1 dash orange bitters

Directions
Stir ingredients with ice, then strain into a coupe glass. Serve up and garnish with an orange twist.

For a traditional Martini: Fill a metal shaker with cracked ice, pour in 1 oz dry vermouth, stir briefly, and strain out. Add 4 ounces of gin, stir briskly for about 10 seconds, strain into a chilled co*cktail glass, and garnish with an olive or a lemon twist. Read more on the Martini here.

"It's a Negroni, but with rye whiskey instead of gin. It's a natural evolution, bringing a dark spirit into a classic drink that we love. It's great for fall and winter, but I drink it year-round."

Ingredients
• 1.5 oz rye whiskey
• .75 oz Campari
• .75 oz sweet vermouth

Directions
Stir ingredients with ice, then strain into a coupe glass. Serve up and garnish with an orange twist.

For a traditional Negroni: Stir 1 oz London dry gin, 1 oz Campari, and 1 oz vermouth rosso well with cracked ice. Strain into a glass over cubed ice, then garnish with a twist of orange peel. Read more on the Negroni here.

"It uses so many wintery things, like the Applejack and maple syrup. You could not make a more fireside-appropriate co*cktail."

Ingredients
• 2 oz apple brandy (like Applejack)
• .25 oz maple syrup
• 3 dashes Peychaud's bitters

Directions
Stir ingredients with ice, then strain into an old fashioned glass. Serve up and garnish with a lemon twist.

For a traditional Sazerac: In an Old Fashioned glass, muddle a sugar cube with a few drops of water. Add several small ice cubes, then 2.5 oz rye whiskey, 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters, and 1 dash Angostura bitters. Stir well. Roll a few drops of absinthe around a second, chilled Old-Fashioned glass, then pour off the excess. Strain the contents of the first glass into the second. Read more on the Sazerac here.

"The rum and its molasses flavors, plus the allspice and Angostura bitters, make for this lovely, rich, slightly thicker Old Fashioned variation. It's perfect to have late at night."

Ingredients
• 2 oz rum (like Eldorado 12-Year)
• 1 bar spoon of demerara syrup
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters

Directions
Build ingredients into a double Old Fashioned glass with ice. Finish with lemon and orange twist.

For a traditional Old Fashioned: Place a sugar cube in an Old Fashioned glass, wet it down with 2 dashes Angostura bitters and a short splash of club soda, then muddle. Add a large ice cube and 2 oz rye or bourbon, then garnish with an orange twist. Read more on the Old Fashioned here.