Smoky, boozy hot chocolate

44 winter cocktails

Hannah Guinness

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We've got winning winter cocktail recipes for you to try. Escape the cold with warming mulled wine, perky espresso martinis and indulgent white russians

Our winter cocktails range from kitsch classics like the snowball to boozy sloe sazeracs and festive eggnogs. We've also got plenty of warming winter drinks to ward off the chill: treat yourself to the likes of Baileys hot chocolate, hot toddies, eggnogs and hot spiced cherry cup, as well as a gin cocktail for winter that riffs on a classic – mulled gin.

Equip your home bar with the best cocktail accessories, and create a glassware collection using our guides to cocktail glasses and whisky glasses.

Warming winter cocktail ideas

Mulled wine

Mulled wine is a Christmas party classic, and our homemade version is pepped up with a splash of brandy.

A blue background with two glasses in front filled with red wine, slices of orange and cinnamon sticks

Baileys hot chocolate

We’ve added creamy Baileys and aromatic cinnamon to create the most decadent festive hot chocolate going – anindulgent pick-me-up drink!

A blue table topped with three mugs of hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows

Amaretto old fashioned

The amaretto old fashioned is an easy yet indulgent cocktail that offers a nutty twist on a classic favourite. The sweet almond flavour of amaretto pairs beautifully with the depth of bourbon and a hint of bitters, making it perfect for sipping after dinner.

Two short amaretto cocktails

Hot toddy

Warm up on chilly evenings with this hot toddy, a classic winter cocktail that combines whisky with honey, lemon and spices.

A red background with a glass mug in front filled with a hot whisky cocktail and cinnamon stick

Hot buttered rum affogato

A deliciously decadent cross between drink and dessert – the buttered rum tastes like liquid butterscotch.

Hot buttered rum cocktail

Eggnog latte

Get into the festive spirit with a mug of creamy eggnog latte, made with eggnog or Advocaat, milk, espresso and a pinch of nutmeg for dusting.

Two mugs filled with creamy eggnog latte, served on a metal tray

Christmas hot chocolate

Curl up indoors with the ultimate Christmas hot chocolate, infused with festive flavours such as cinnamon and nutmeg, and finished with squirty cream or your favourite toppings.

Three mugs of Christmas hot chocolate topped with squirty cream, flakes and marshmallows

Sloegroni

A festive take on a classic cocktail. Using sloe gin brings a lovely sweet berry edge which is perfect for sipping over ice.

Two bottleS of sloe cocktail with a glass in front

Mulled gin

A great alternative to mulled wine – mix apple juice with gin and aromatic spices to make this warming mulled gin.

A blue background with a glass mug at the front filled with a dark yellow spiced drink and a cinnamon stick

Vegan eggnog

We’ve swapped dairy products for almond milk and coconut cream in this easy all-in-one vegan eggnog – a drink that’s perfect for festive parties.

A blue table topped with a glass filled with vegan eggnog, with a cinnamon stick on the side

Hot buttered rum

Treat yourself to a hot buttered rum over the festive season, made with golden rum, soft light brown sugar, unsalted butter and festive spices.

Two mugs filled with hot buttered rum, topped with a cinnamon stick

Mulled hot chocolate

Use your leftover red wine to jazz up hot chocolate over the festive season. This quick and easy mulled hot chocolate is the perfect way to warm up during the wintry months.

Red Wine Hot Chocolate Recipe

Smoky boozy hot chocolate

How do you make a mug of homemade hot chocolate even better? Add booze, of course! Mezcal or very peaty scotch whisky lends a welcome kick, and there's chilli in there for a bit of heat, too.

Smoky Hot Chocolate Recipe

Next-level Baileys

If you love sipping a glass of Baileys while you watch some festive telly, then this cocktail is for you.

Someone pouring a Baileys cocktail out of a strainer and into a glass

Mulled beer

Forget cider and wine – mulled beer is the thing to be drinking this year over the festive season. Our recipe has wintry flavours of cinnamon, cloves, star anise and clementine.

Mulled Beer Recipe

After Eight martini

After Eights are a festive staple in many houses. This cocktail is a happy hybrid between this minty chocolate treat and another favourite, the grasshopper cocktail.

A mint chocolate martini drink on a wooden table

Hot spiced cherry cup

The perfect pick-me-up on a chilly winter night, this spiced cocktail blends red wine with cherry brandy, plenty of fresh spices and citrus. Best served warm and garnished with cinnamon sticks.

Glühwein

The addition of rum to this winter classic works really well – we've added some here to compensate for the evaporation of alcohol during cooking, but it’s not essential, if you prefer your drinks a little less punchy.

Glühwein in glasses served on a tray

Mulled white wine

Move over red – mulled white wine with a splash of dry cider is here, and its comforting winter spices are guaranteed to leave you feeling cosy.

Mulled white wine cocktail

Mulled port

Warm those cockles with a heady concoction of ruby port, cinnamon, black peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves and rosemary – the perfect Christmas tipple.

Two glasses of mulled port with sprig of rosemary inside

Winter sangria

A riff on port and lemon from the 1970s, this wintry twist on sangria is a great way to use up any leftover port and also works well with red wine.

Graphic drawing of a winter sangria

Mulled old fashioned

This festive twist on a classic cocktail features a homemade syrup infused with cinnamon, orange and cloves for a warming, subtly spiced result.

A red cocktail in a tumbler with a twist of lemon peel on the top

Snowball

Advocaat, a Dutch spirit made with eggs, sugar and brandy, is mixed with lemonade to make a sweet and easy-to-make festive tipple.

A bright blue background with a long glass filled with a creamy snowball cocktail garnished with a red cherry

Sloe gin fizz

A festive twist on a classic gin fizz, you can use shop-bought sloe gin or find our recipe for an easy DIY version.

Two tall glasses of sloe gin fizz, garrnished with a lemon slice and maraschino cherry

Vegan black russian

This black Russian recipe from London's Bubala restaurant is as rich as it is creamy, thanks to the tangy date syrup. It’s the ultimate Christmas cocktail, which just happens to be vegan.

Vegan black russian

Baileys cocktail

Make the most of your bottle of Baileys with this creamy vodka cocktail, the perfect at-home cocktail to indulge in during the colder months.

Two Baileys cocktails topped with chocolate shavings

Grasshopper cocktail

One for fans of mint chocolate, this retro, three-ingredient drink makes for an ideal dessert cocktail or festive party tipple.

A blue cocktail garnished with a sprig of green mint

Spiced sidecar

A warming, cold-weather cocktail made using homemade spiced brandy. Omit the spices for a classic sidecar cocktail, or try using bourbon if you can’t find cognac.

Sidecar cocktail in a coupe glass with a bottle of red liquid behind

Chocolate martini

This decadent dessert cocktail features dark chocolate, gin and chocolate liqueur, making it perfect for a luxurious tipple at a winter dinner party.

Chocolate martini in a glass with a cocktail shaker at the side

Sloe sazerac

A seriously punchy whisky cocktail perfect for slow sipping during the winter months.

Sloe Sazerac in a glass

Sherry sour

Want a simple winter cocktail recipe? Impress friends and family over the festive season with our easy-drinking sherry sour.

Sherry Cocktail Recipe

Christmas mojito

Try this festive twist on everyone's favourite minty cocktail, where rum is mixed with cranberry juice and soda, then garnished with mint leaves and pomegranate seeds.

Two glasses of pink-hued mojito with mint and metal straws

Campfire cocktail

Curl up at home and recreate Bonfire Night with this sweet and smoky bourbon cocktail from the brilliant team at London whisky bar Black Rock.

A bourbon cocktail topped with a marshmallow and placed alongside a bottle of bourbon

Vieux carré cocktail

First invented in New Orleans in the 1930s, fans of manhattans, old fashioneds and sazeracs will love this layered and complex cocktail, perfect for sipping slowly on chilly evenings.

A coupe glass filled with a dark orange cocktail garnished with a dark red cherry

Old fashioned cocktail

A seriously sophisticated cocktail, the original old fashioned calls for just four ingredients. It's a punchy, mature and super-classy option.

Easy Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe

Fig and grapefruit twinkle cocktail

Crème de figue liquor adds a delicately spiced flavour to this celebratory cocktail, which also comes laced with grapefruit gin and champagne.

Two cocktails set against a festive background

Espresso martini

We love espresso martinis! One of the coolest cocktails around, this punchy little number blends hot espresso with vodka for ultimate effect.

A martini glass filled with espresso martini on a grey background

Revolver cocktail

Elevate your festive tipple! Beyond the espresso martini, indulge in a caffeinated Christmas sipper with this unique twist on a Manhattan

A cocktail against a white background

Chai white russian

Colder winter months call for the warming spices of chai. We’ve used it to make a twist on a classic white Russian, and tap into the trend for coffee cocktails.

Winter-spiced pear cocktail

A minty fresh mojito no longer seems appropriate at this time of year, and yet glass after glass of mulled wine can be a bit much. This winter-spiced pear cocktail bridges that gap perfectly – it’s light, but the warming spices of star anise and cinnamon and the silky texture from the egg white make it a great seasonal alternative.

Spiced Pear Cocktail Recipe

Christmas gin cocktail

Giving this drink a proper shake in your cocktail shaker will ensure a lovely, creamy layer of egg white on top of this festive tipple.

Christmas-gin-cocktail

Chocolate porter flip

We've revived and updated a classic dating back the the 17th century with our recipe for a chocolate porter flip. Serve this hot or cold.

Easy Beer Cocktail with Chocolate Recipe

Sherry whisky sour

Enjoy a Christmassy spin on a classic whisky cocktail. The cream sherry adds extra festive flavours - perfect for a Christmas party or gathering with friends.

Sherry flip

Velvety, nutty and low-ABV, this decadently creamy sherry flip cocktail makes an excellent alternative to eggnog during the festive season.

Authors

Hannah GuinnessSenior sub editor and drinks writer

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