8 cocktails to get you through all of winter

Mulled wine with cinnamon and cranberry on vintage wooden table with red berries and green spruce branches

Cocktails with added touches like cinnamon will keep you warm all winter

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 25 December 2023

Humans should not subsist on water alone, despite what your body might be telling you during and after the holiday season. This winter, choose your cocktails wisely. Maybe that means an invigorating mule with bourbon and cider, a warming coffee with brandy and creme de cacao or a booze-free take on an espresso Martini.

Ginger Spritz

a light yellow cocktail in a fluted rocks glass throwing a lovely shadow

A demure start to the New Year, this very low-ABV cocktail commingles Lillet blanc and cava (Spanish sparkling wine) with both fresh ginger and ginger beer. Happy 2024, indeed. Get the recipe.

Winter Daiquiri

a light-brown cocktail in a Nick and Nora glass against a slate-grey backdrop

A classic Daiquiri is always the right answer to whatever question. It is spunky and amicable. But the traditional formula of light rum, lime juice and simple syrup connotes warm weather and lighthearted afternoons. This wintry approach employs part aged rum for a Daiquiri with moody introspection. Get the recipe.

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Nonalcoholic Espresso Martini

a couple filled with an espresso Martini. three coffee beans rest on the foam top

First things first: This cocktail is a mite fussy to assemble. You will need to make a cold-brew concentrate and make a vanilla syrup and purchase two nonalcoholic spirits from Lyre's. Did you think creating a delicious, surprising, booze-free espresso Martini would be effortless? Get the recipe.

Hot Ward 8

two rocks glasses are filled with an orange cocktail. A Thermos sits nearby for storing the drinks before serving

A hot drink for a gathering: rye whiskey, pomegranate juice and oleo saccharum (a fancy way of saying you macerated citrus peels in sugar) play warmly in a cocktail that is designed to be stored in a Thermos for maximum accessibility and pouring ease. Get the recipe.

Keoke Coffee

a coffee cocktail in an Irish coffee glass with a think foam topping

There are many variations of boozy coffee cocktails akin to Spanish coffee and Irish coffee. This iteration from Jeffrey Morganthaler melds creme de cacao, brandy and brown-sugar syrup for a rich, smooth offering that will bring you up even as it winds you down. Get the recipe.

Tahini White Russian

a fluted rocks glass holds a white Russian cocktail. heaps of tahini whipped cream crown the drink. a flurry of sesame seeds rains on the cocktail from above

The tahini element is on the drink, rather than in it. The base is your classic coffee liqueur + vodka pairing. Where this cocktail gets its personality is with the sesame-spiked coconutty whipped cream that is billowed on the surface to finish. Get the recipe.

Palomonic

a tumbler filled with yellow cocktail. garnished with a grapefruit half-moon and a rosemary sprig

The Paloma, with its intersection of grapefruit juice and tequila, is a marvel of a cocktail. Add sharp tonic water and a rosemary sprig and the refreshingness abides even while the drink begins throwing its weight around. Get the recipe.

Bourbon-Cider Mule

a silver tray carries three copper mugs filled with a cocktail that is garnished with lime wheels and apple wheels

Apple cider, lime juice and a wallop of bourbon: This mule begins life with an attitude. Then, when the fillip of ginger beer is added before serving, the cocktail's edge softens. Fans of the Moscow mule should brace themselves for a fresh contender for their new favorite drink. Get the recipe.

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Scott Hocker is an award-winning freelance writer and editor at The Week Digital. He has written food, travel, culture and lifestyle stories for local, national and international publications for more than 20 years. Scott also has more than 15 years of experience creating, implementing and managing content initiatives while working across departments to grow companies. His most recent editorial post was as editor-in-chief of Liquor.com. Previously, he was the editor-in-chief of Tasting Table and a senior editor at San Francisco magazine.