Delicious Winter Cocktails to Keep You Warm

Nothing warms you up in wintertime like a delicious cocktail. Whether it’s actually heated — like mulled wine or a hot toddy — or simply brings out those winter flavors, it doesn’t hurt to have a few tasty cocktail recipes on hand that are easy to whip up at a moment’s notice.

Whether you’re expecting a large group or simply settling in for the night to watch the snow fall, these 12 cheerful drink ideas are sure to be crowd-pleasers.

What’s not to love about a delicious drink that’s super easy to make and creates the most alluring aroma? Mulled wine recipes abound, but Cook the Story has an extra-special method that includes brown sugar. Plus, it can be made up to four days ahead of time and kept at room temperature.

Creating this drink is as easy as throwing some oranges, red wine, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, cloves and peppercorns together into a pot and letting it boil. Brown sugar and brandy or orange liqueur are added later for that touch of additional sweetness.

A lot of cocktails can be super sweet, so adding a little sour to the mix can be a nice treat. Cookie + Kate has a Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour drink that combines bourbon and lemon with maple syrup and cinnamon for a whiskey sour drink unlike any other you’ve ever tasted.

With only four ingredients, it’s also super easy to make, meaning you’ll be able to spend more time mingling and less time behind the bar.

If you need a brew big enough to serve up in batches, you can’t go wrong with a punch. Stir and Strain’s 9 Ladies Dancing Scotch Punch is made with nine ingredients broken down into a vanilla cinnamon syrup, chai tea and punch.

What makes this recipe so sweet sounding is the idea of blending together cinnamon and vanilla bean with chai tea and Scotch. If your taste buds weren’t tripped already, don’t forget the orange wheels and star anise as a garnish.

It can be fun to try out new recipes, but sometimes you just need to go with a classic. The Drink Blog has a refreshing take on the traditional hot toddy that takes five minutes to make and includes bourbon, honey, lemon juice, hot water, cinnamon and lemon.

When the temps dip below freezing outside, this tasty cocktail will warm you from the inside out.