With the blizzard this week hitting the east coast, we've been freezing our tails off in New York on this belated winter snowstorm! Although we're a week away from the first day of spring, we're bundled in huge coats with our faces stinging from the cold wind blustering. Looking at my weather app, my phone tells me that today feels like it's 15 degrees out, and I'm a little bit of a Bitter Betty about it. So, to fight away these last days of winter blues, I figured I'd find some warm cocktail recipes to share with you all! These recipes are packed with plenty of hot spices and goodies to warm you up from the inside out. Check them out below:
Spiced Chai Tea
Photo courtesy of HGTV
Ingredients (4 servings)
2 cups milk
2 cups water
4 ounces bourbon
1 tablespoon black tea
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
6 cloves
½ teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon ground ginger
3 peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
Directions
In a medium saucepan, mix all ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer for five minutes while stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and cover pan, letting it steep for five minutes. Strain tea through a fine sieve and serve.
(Recipe courtesy of HGTV)
Apple-Brandy Hot Toddies
Photo courtesy of Food&Wine
Ingredients (8 servings)
1 ½ cups water
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons honey
½ cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups apple brandy (Calvados)
8 three inch cinnamon sticks
Directions
In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the honey until it's dissolved. Stir in the lemon juice and apple brandy. In each mug, place a cinnamon stick, then pour the hot mixture and serve.
(Recipe courtesy of Food & Wine)
Hot Cranberry Mule
Photo courtesy of HGTV
Ingredients (1 serving)
4 ounces ginger beer
4 ounces cranberry juice
2 ounces vodka
½ ounce fresh lime juice
Cranberries
Lime
Directions
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine ginger beer and cranberry juice. Pour into a mug. Gently stir in vodka and lime juice. Garnish with a lime wedge and cranberries, serve.
(Recipe courtesy of HGTV)
Hot Spiced Wine
Photo courtesy of Food&Wine
Ingredients (12 servings)
2 bottles light-bodied red wine
1 ¼ cups sugar
Zest 1 orange
Zest 1 lemon
3 black peppercorns, crushed
2 cardamom pods, crushed
1 three inch cinnamon stick, crushed
1 clove, crushed
½ cup kirsch
Directions
In a large saucepan, combine the red wine, with the sugar, orange and lemon zests. Put the spices in a tea ball and place in the saucepan. Bring wine to a slow simmer over moderate heat, while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, take out the tea ball, and stir in the kirsch. Ladle the spiced wine into heat-proof glasses and serve. Note: this recipe can also be made in advance, leave the mixture at room temperature overnight, then reheat before serving.
(Recipe courtesy of Food & Wine)
Honey Winter Bourbon Cocktail with Honey Sage Syrup
Photo courtesy of One Broads Journey
Ingredients (4 servings)
Honey Sage Syrup:
1 cup water
½ cup honey
10-12 fresh sage leaves
Cocktail:
2 ounces bourbon
1 orange peal
1 fresh sage leaf
3 tablespoons honey sage syrup
Directions
In a pot over medium high heat, bring the water, honey, and sage to a boil. Bring heat down to low and simmer for three minutes. Remove from heat and allow syrup to cool. Fill a short glass with ice, and pour bourbon and cooled syrup over. Twist orange peel directly over glass until you see it release oils. Place peel in glass with bourbon and stir. Garnish with fresh sage leaf. Serve.
(Recipe courtesy of One Broads Journey)
Grab some friends, grab a glass, and let's get toasty!