5 Cocktails That Will Keep You Warm This Winter

Mumbai doesn’t have a season called Winter, and no Mumbaikar will tell you this. Only migrants like me will. But because everyone in Mumbai wants to feel cozy during this fake-winter season for different reasons, here are 5 cocktails to keep your soul warm.

1. Mulled Wine Hot Chocolate

Winter calls for unlimited servings of hot chocolate, no one can argue against it. And because you are reading a listicle on Unsobered, this serving of hot chocolate has to have booze. 

What you’ll need:

• 4 spoon chocolate chips
• 1 cinnamon sticks
• 45 ml mulled wine
• 5 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 star anise
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 60 ml water
• 2 slices of orange
• 1 saucepan
• Cranberries and orange slices for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Add cocoa powder, chocolate chips, cinnamon stick, star anise and water to a saucepan
2. Whisk it on medium heat for 2 mins
3. Add ginger powder, sugar and orange slices to it
4. Stir until sugar dissolves
5. Simmer for 5-8 mins
6. Add mulled wine and stir on low heat for 2 mins
7. Pour into cups
8. Garnish (optional), and serve

2. Spiked Peppermint Mocha

Do you love hot chocolate but find it too filling? The perfect way to solve this issue is by settling for mocha in winters. Just add some daaru to it and you are good to go.

What you’ll need:

• 1 packet instant coffee
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tbsp Peppermint Mocha Kahlua
• 2 tbsp whipped cream
• Peppermints for garnish

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil and add instant coffee and milk to it
2. Stir and bring the coffee to a boil again
3. Add Kahlua to it and stir for a minute on low heat
4. Pour it into a glass and top it with whipped cream
5. Garnish with peppermint and serve

3. Tuthilltown Toddy

When I was a little kid, my mum would feed me warm honey during the winters in UP. Now that I am an adult, maybe I should feed her some honeylicious Tuthilltown Toddy.

What you’ll need:

• 60 ml bourbon
• 15 ml fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp honey
• 75 ml hot water
• 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions:

1. Add lemon juice, honey, bourbon and hot water to a mug
2. Stir until honey blends
3. Garnish with cinnamon stick and serve

4. Hot Gold Apple Cider

Hot Gold Apple Cider will fill your heart with warmth and your house with its aroma. I am already imagining myself sitting on the sofa on a weekend, holding the drink in one hand and giving belly rubs to my dog with the other.

What you’ll need:

• 100 ml apple cider
• 45 ml dark rum
• 30 ml Goldschlager Cinnamon Schnapps
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 whole allspice
• 2 whole cloves
• 2 orange slices

Instructions:

1. Add all the ingredients to a pot
2. Stir on medium heat for 1 min and cover
3. Stir until it comes to a boil
4. Simmer for 30 mins while stirring occasionally
5. Pour into mugs and serve

5. Hot Buttered Whiskey

This one is for all the whiskey lovers in the house. While many know of hot buttered rum, hot buttered whiskey was mostly unheard of. I am hoping that won’t be the case now.

What you’ll need:

For the Batter

• 1 cube of butter (room temperature)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• 1 dash cinnamon powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1 pinch allspice
• 1 pinch clove powder

For the Drink

• 30 ml whiskey
• Hot buttered batter
• 60 ml hot water

Instructions:

1. Add all the batter ingredients to a large bowl
2. Mix well
3. Turn the batter out on a plastic wrap sheet
4. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour or more until it’s firm
5. Add the firm batter to a mug
6. Pour whiskey and hot water to it
7. Stir until you get the desired consistency, and serve