Made our annual non-alcoholic Irish coffee this morning for St. Patricks day! Needless to say I think it turned out real well!

22 Hot Cocktail Recipes for Cold Winter Nights

[Photographs: Vicky Wasik, Elana Lepkowski]

It's still practically shorts weather in California, where I live, but the folks at Serious Eats World Headquarters in New York assure me that it is, in fact, winter. Back when I lived in places that actually got cold, winter meant hot drinks—hot cocoa and mulled cider when I was a kid, hot cider and hot cocoa with booze when I got older.

But there's more to the world of hot drinks than pouring a shot into whatever's in your mug. If you put some thought into them, hot drinks can have all the class and sophistication of chilled cocktails. To show you what I mean, we've rounded up 22 of our favorite hot toddies, spiked ciders, cocoas, coffees, and other hot cocktails to keep you toasty all season long.

Hot Toddies

[Photograph: Elana Lepkowski]

Next time you're craving a hot toddy, think beyond a simple mixture of whiskey or brandy with hot water. Here we change it up, using caramelly, herbal Averna and adding a sweet-spicy syrup made with brown sugar, cinnamon, and black pepper. Getting rid of the hard liquor keeps the alcohol content down, so you can keep refilling your mug throughout the evening.

Spiced Averna Toddy Recipe »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: Autumn Giles]

We make this bright, herbal toddy with citrusy New Amsterdam Gin instead of the brown liquor more commonly found in the drink, and replace the water with mint tea for extra flavor. A sweet-tart cranberry syrup gives this cocktail a festive ruby-red color that's made for the holidays.

The Hot and Cold »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: Nick Guy]

Even more of a departure from the traditional hot toddy, this smoky, Mexican-inspired drink combines mezcal, Green Chartreuse, Angostura and mole bitters, stick cinnamon, and sprigs of fresh mint. A splash of ginger beer complements the spicy notes in the drink and adds a pleasant fizz.

Remontel Toddy Recipe »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: Sydney Oland]

This drink may be more mulled wine than hot toddy, but it's a crowd-pleasing option no matter what you call it. To make it, we combine Riesling, brandy, and honey, then steep bay leaves and toasted cardamom pods in the mixture before straining and serving. It's a soothing, herbal mix that'll warm you all the way through.

Riesling Hot Toddy Recipe »

Back to the full list

Spiked Cider

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Anyone can pour a shot of bourbon into their hot cider—for something more interesting, try infusing the liquor with sweet, toasty caramel popcorn first. Once you've made the infused bourbon (which takes just a few minutes on the stove), all you need is the cider and a little pat of butter to float on top of each drink.

Hot Caramel-Popcorn Bourbon Apple Cider Recipe »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: María del Mar Sacasa]

Not sold on popcorn-infused bourbon? This darker, moodier butter-topped cider is spiked with dark rum instead, for a hot buttered rum–like feel, and it gets its sweetness from pure maple syrup rather than caramel. To contrast the rich, deep flavors of the drink, serve it in glasses rimmed with an eye-opening combination of lemon juice and Maldon salt.

Salty Maple Buttered Cider Recipe »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: María del Mar Sacasa]

We don't infuse the whiskey with anything fancy for this spiked cider, but we do give it an unexpected twist (or three) by stirring in sweet-and-spicy ginger liqueur, pouring it over rich Luxardo cherries, and finishing with freshly cracked black pepper, which reinforces the subtle burn of the ginger.

Peppery Ginger Cider Recipe »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: Tara Striano]

If plain old cider just isn't apple enough for you, you'll fall in love with this aptly named fruity concoction. We triple down on the apple here by adding Granny Smiths and Applejack brandy, and mix in clementine orange and dried cranberries for even more fruity flavor. To balance the drink, we turn to a slew of spices: cinnamon, cloves, allspice, coriander, and black peppercorns.

Eve's Addiction Recipe »

Back to the full list

Boozy Hot Chocolate

[Photograph: Elana Lepkowski]

The best boozy hot chocolate starts with the best hot chocolate, so ditch the store-bought mixes and make it from scratch, using unsweetened cocoa powder, semisweet chocolate chips, and sugar. Once you've taken care of the basics, you can doctor the drink up as you'd like—here, we mix in a shot of amaro and top with homemade Angostura whipped cream. Try subbing fernet for amaro if you want a minty kick.

Amaro Hot Chocolate Recipe »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

I rarely say no to a cup of cocoa spiked with Baileys, but you can make a much tastier drink by separating the liqueur into its component flavors—Amaretto, espresso powder, vanilla extract, and Irish whiskey—and adding each to your cocoa individually. Not only are the ingredients going to be better-quality that way, you can also adjust the ratios exactly to your liking.

Better Than Baileys Hot Chocolate Recipe »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

I'm sure you're familiar with the concept of spiking Guinness with Jameson and Baileys, so why not use all three to make a seriously boozy hot chocolate? The Baileys and whiskey can be added straight to the cocoa, but in order for the flavor of the beer to come through, you'll need to reduce it into a concentrated syrup on the stovetop first.

Guinness, Whiskey, and Baileys Hot Chocolate Recipe »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Forget commercial butterscotch sauce—it's easy to make your own with nothing more than sugar and heavy cream. (Despite the name, butterscotch isn't actually made with Scotch whisky, but we add a shot anyway, since we like the notes of smoke and vanilla it provides.) We use the butterscotch syrup two ways—most of it is mixed in with the hot chocolate, and the last bit is drizzled on top as a tantalizing garnish.

Salted Butterscotch Hot Chocolate Recipe »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

The peak of the all-bacon-all-the-time craze may be behind us, but the combination of bacon and chocolate is tasty enough to be more than a fad. To give this hazelnut hot chocolate as much smoky bacon flavor as possible, we emulsify rendered fat right into the drink before adding Frangelico, bourbon, whipped cream, chopped toasted hazelnuts—and the essential fried-bacon-strip garnish.

Bacon, Bourbon, and Hazelnut Hot Chocolate Recipe »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

Not all boozy hot chocolate recipes have to be quite so involved—this one just requires spiking the cocoa with tequila, a surprisingly appropriate partner for chocolate, and peppermint schnapps. Garnish each mug with mint leaves to complement the schnapps and give the cocoa a fresh, herbal aroma.

Tequila Mint Hot Chocolate Recipe »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt]

You could use tequila in this hot chocolate, too, but if you have mezcal on hand, we encourage you to try it instead—its smokiness works wonderfully with the dried ancho chili and cinnamon that give the cocoa its kick. If you don't have mezcal, try substituting dark rum, which will give the drink some extra richness.

Spicy Aztec Hot Chocolate With Chili, Cinnamon, and Mezcal Recipe »

Back to the full list

Spiked Coffee

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

As good as a classic Irish coffee may be, there's more to spiked coffee than that. This version takes its inspiration from the flavors of Nutella (hence the name, a play on gianduia), replacing the usual whiskey with hazelnut-infused Frangelico and topping the drink off with chocolate whipped cream. We also add a tablespoon of simple syrup to each mug to take a little of the edge off the coffee.

Just-Do-Ya (Hazelnut-Spiked Irish Coffee With Chocolate Whipped Cream) Recipe »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

In our opinion, the sugarcane sweetness and slight kick of spiced rum make it an even better partner than whiskey for coffee, so we put it to work in this Irish-coffee variation, topped with butterscotch whipped cream and a dusting of nutmeg. Malted milk powder and brown sugar in the whipped cream help simulate the slow-cooked flavor of traditional butterscotch.

Everything Nice (Spiced-Rum Coffee With Butterscotch Whipped Cream) Recipe »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Fair warning: This recipe isn't going to appeal to everyone, but it will speak to fans of the minty and bitter flavors of Fernet Branca. We start with coffee (already pretty bitter), then pour in the fernet and top the drink off with tangy lemon whipped cream. It's certainly a more assertive combination than our other Irish-coffee recipes, but give it a chance and you might be surprised by how much you like it.

Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (Fernet-Spiked Irish Coffee With Lemon Cream) Recipe »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

If you find Fernet Branca a little too intense, this bittersweet spiked coffee might be just the thing for you. This hot cocktail gets just enough bite from caramelly Amaro Averna and herbal, citrusy Gran Classico, while bourbon gives it a boozier kick and crème de cacao lends it rich sweetness. Look for a good-quality brand of crème de cacao, such as Tempus Fugit.

Bittersweet Amaro- and Whiskey-Spiked Coffee Recipe »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: Lizz Schumer]

This recipe also strives for a more balanced, bittersweet flavor, spiking the coffee with spicy rye whiskey, Luxardo Amaro Abano, and Angostura bitters. All those bitter flavors get nicely mellowed out with the addition of apple brandy, Demerara sugar, and a topping of whipped cream; stir a bit of the cream straight into the drink to soften it up even further.

Architects and Kings Recipe »

Back to the full list

Other Hot Cocktails

[Photograph: Elana Lepkowski]

A classic chilled Ward 8 is made with rye, lemon and orange juice, and grenadine. Those fruit juices don't work so well in a drink that has to be diluted with hot water, so to make this version, we replace them with a more intensely flavored oleosaccharum and a couple of ounces of orange curaçao. The grenadine is swapped out for pomegranate juice to give the drink a brighter flavor. This recipe makes a big batch—enough for eight cocktails—so it's ideal for filling up a Thermos on a day of sledding, ice skating, or other winter fun.

Hot Ward 8 Cocktail Recipe »

Back to the full list

[Photograph: Lizz Schumer]

Clarified-milk punches haven't been in the spotlight for a couple hundred years, but that just means this cocktail is super retro and therefore cool, right? Besides the clarified milk, we make this version with a lemon oleosaccharum, lemon juice, simple syrup, cognac, and rum, for a drink that's both rich and citrusy.

The Varnish's Milk Punch Recipe »

Back to the full list

This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.

Source: https://www.seriouseats.com/roundups/hot-cocktail-recipes

DESSERT SYRUPS USED IN BAKERY

PREPARATION OF SUGAR SYRUPS, CRÈME ANGLAISE, CRÈME PATISSERIE, WHIPPED CREAM, GANACHE, (POUND CAKE FOR EVALUATION) Procedure for Preparing Simple Syrup 1. Combine the following ingredients in a saucepan:- Water- 500 ml Sugar- 500 2. Stir and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Cook and stir until the sugar is dissolved. 3. Remove any scum. Cool syrup and store in a covered container. Procedure for Preparing Dessert Syrup:- METHOD 1:- Prepare and cool a simple syrup. Add any desired flavoring according to taste. Extracts such as vanilla or liquors such as rum or kirsch may serve as flavorings. Flavoring should be added after the syrup has cooled, as some of the flavor may evaporate if it is added to hot syrup. METHOD 2:- Prepare a simple syrup, but add the rind of one orange and/or one lemon to the sugar and water before bringing it to a boil. Let the syrup simmer for 5 minutes before cooling. Remove the rind from the cooled syrup. Vanilla Syrup Water - 200 g Sugar - 180 g Vanilla bean, split - 1 P r o c e d u r e 1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar is dissolved. 2. Remove from the heat and allow the vanilla to infuse for 30 minutes. CRÈME ANGLAISE: This is also known as Vanilla Custard Sauce or Custard Cream and is the basic sauce used in the bakery. This and its variations are useful in making ice creams and various sauces. Egg Yolks - 12 No.s Sugar - 250 gms Milk - 1000 ml. Vanilla + 15 ml. Method: Always use clean and sanitized equipment while making this. Combine the yolks, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beat lightly. Bring the milk to a boil and add it drop by drop and then steadily, into the egg mixture. Take the bowl to the double boiler and cook it till it reaches 85 C. The temperature should never go above 87 C, as this will cause the sauce to curdle. If a thermometer is not available, the custard is done when it lightly coats the back of a wooden spoon. For a richer crème anglaise substitute 500 ml milk with 500 ml dairy cream. Variations include Chocolate Crème Anglaise, Coffee Crème Anglaise etc. CRÈME PATISSERIE: This is also known as Confectioner’s Custard or Pastry Cream. This is the basic filling used in classical pies, pastries and desserts. It can also be used to make puddings and when thinned down can be used as a sauce. Eggs - 8 No.s Sugar - 350 gms Salt - a pinch Flour - 120 gms Milk - 1000 ml. Vanilla - 15 ml. Butter - 30 gms Method: The method is similar to that of crème Anglaise. First the flour, sugar, salt eggs and vanilla essence are mixed together lightly. Bring the milk to a boil and add it drop by drop and then steadily, into the egg mixture. Take it to the double boiler and cook it till the mixture thickens. Add the butter and give a stir and remove from the heat and pour into a hygienic container and either dust with icing sugar or cover with wax paper in order to prevent crust formation. Deluxe Pastry Cream: The whole eggs can be replaced with 16 yolks. Chocolate Pastry Cream: Add 150 gms of chopped dark chocolate to the hot pastry cream and continue stirring till the chocolate dissolves. Coffee Pastry Cream: Add 15 gms of instant coffee powder to the milk while boiling it. Crème St. Honoré: This is pastry cream to which beaten egg whites have been added. It has to be used immediately or stabilized with gelatin. For the basic pastry cream recipe, 30 gms of softened gelatin is added and then 750 gms of egg whites beaten to soft peaks is folded in. WHIPPED CREAM / CRÉME CHANTILLY: This is the most widely used filling used in bakery. It is actually double cream with a fat content of about 35 % to which 100 – 200 gms of castor sugar is added and whipped into a foam. There are a variety of flavours that can be added to whipped cream like Vanilla, kirsch, rum etc, based on the requirement. There are a few precautions to be noted while whipping cream. They are as follows: Ideally the cream should be at least one day old. Very fresh cream does not whip well. Chill the cream and all equipment thoroughly, especially in hot weather. Cream that is too warm will curdle easily. For whipping use the whisk attachment in the machine and use at medium speed. Add the cream when the cream is three-fourths whipped, because the sugar decreases the stability and makes the cream harder to whip. Do not over whip the cream, as this will make it grainy in appearance and it will separate into butter and whey i.e. it will curdle. Cream to be folded into other ingredients should be slightly under-whipped. This is because the action of folding also whips up the cream. Fold in flavouring ingredients at the end after the cream is whipped. Store the cream covered, in a refrigerator. In very hot weather the cream can be stabilized by adding a commercial stabilizer or gelatin. 10 gms gelatin can be added for every litre of cream. CHOCOLATE CREAMS / GANACHE: Ganache is basically any mixture of chocolate and cream in varying proportions, with various other ingredients like butter or egg yolks or liquor added to enhance the richness. Ganache is usually used for spreading as a topping or for piping as a garnish. It is also used as a filling. Hence it is sometimes classified as a filling and sometimes classified as an icing. Cheaper varieties can be made with a mixture of chocolate and milk. It should also be noted that most students confuse themselves between the terms Ganache and Truffle Cream. Truffle cream is in fact a type of ganache made in the ratio two parts of chocolate to one part of heavy cream. This cream was traditionally, set and then shaped into rounds resembling Truffles. These were known as Chocolate Truffles. Hence the name Truffle Cream to the any ganache in the same ratio. For making the ganache either the chocolate is melted and then the heated cream added to it or the chocolate is chopped and then the hot cream is added to it and stirred till the chocolate melts completely. After this the ganache is usually cooled and rested for 24 hours before using. There are various types of ganache and they are as follows: BASIC GANACHE: Chocolate -1500 gms Dairy Cream - 1000 gms BUTTER GANACHE: Chocolate -1000 gms Butter - 300 gms Cream - 200 gms EGG GANACHE: Yolks - 125 gms Sugar - 150 gms Fresh Cream -1125 gms Chocolate - 1625 gms FIRM GANACHE: Fresh Cream - 875 gms Vegetable Fat - 200 gms Chocolate - 1625 gms THIN GANACHE: Milk - 500 gms Chocolate- 1000 gms DESSERT SAUCES: COULIS, WHOLE FRUIT BASED, CHOCOLATE BASED, JUICE BASED, CARAMEL BASED. DESSERT SAUCES: A) Custard Sauces – Vanilla custard sauce or crème Anglaise as seen earlier in the chapter is one of the basic sauces and also has its variations. Also as seen crème patisserie can also be thinned down and used as a sauce. Commercial custard mixes are also available for the Vegans. These commercial custard powders are nothing but cornstarch that has been flavoured with vanilla flavouring and given a yellow colour. These should be made into a paste with milk and added to a solution of boiling milk and sugar. B) Chocolate Sauce – There are different varieties of chocolate sauce that is used based on the dish and the cost implications. Given below are a few types. Crème Anglaise flavoured with melted chocolate. Ganache thinned down with additional milk and gloss given by the addition of melted butter. Chocolate sauce made by mixing cocoa powder, drinking chocolate, sugar, cornflour, water and butter and bringing the whole mixture to a boil till it thickens. CHOCOLATE SAUCE – I: Dark Chocolate -500 gms Milk - 500 ml Butter-200 gms Here the chocolate is chopped into small pieces. The milk is then boiled and added to the chocolate and mixed vigorously till the chocolate has completely melted and mixed with the milk. Then the butter is added and whisked in to give the gloss. CHOCOLATE SAUCE – II: Butter- 250 gms Brown Sugar -750 gms Milk - 500 ml Cocoa Powder -125 gms Drinking Chocolate- 125 gms Vanilla Essence- 10 ml. Melt all the ingredients in a small pan over a low heat. Stir until the butter is melted, bring to the boil and boil for 3 minutes stirring continuously. Serve hot poured over ice-cream. C) Fruit Sauces – There are basically two types of fruit sauces. a) Coulis – These are purées of fresh or cooked fruits, sweetened with sugar and are usually cooked, to get the right consistency. b) Preserves – These are heated, strained fruit jams and preserves, diluted with a sugar syrup, water or liquor. MELBA SAUCE: Raspberries - 600 gms Red Currant Jelly- 200 gms Pass the raspberries through a sieve to puree them and combine with the jelly and bring to a boil until thoroughly blended. Nowadays this sauce is made using only raspberry preserve diluted with water. Caramelized Sugar Sauces – These sauces are made with caramelized sugar as the main ingredient. CARAMEL SAUCE – I: Sugar - 250 gms Water - 50 ml Boiling Water -150 ml Lemon juice - 10 ml Cook the sugar and 50 ml of water to the light caramel stage and remove from the fire. Add the hot water and stir carefully as the sauce will splutter vigorously. Return to the fire and stir till dissolved. Add the lemon juice and set aside to cool. CARAMEL SAUCE – II: Sugar - 500 gms Butter- 250 gms Single Cream -250 gms Caramelize the sugar and add the unsalted butter to it and keep stirring. When all of the butter has mixed thoroughly, take the pan away from the heat and add the single cream. Mix well and take back to the heat and cook till the mixture becomes smooth. Pass through a strainer if it has lumps. This sauce can also be called as butterscotch sauce. CARAMEL SAUCE – III: Sugar - 250 gms Water - 50 ml Boiling Water -150 ml Liquid Glucose- 50 gms Coffee/Rum/Cognac For flavouring The method is similar to that of caramel sauce -I, but the liquid glucose and the flavouring are added at the end. CARAMEL SAUCE –IV: Condensed Milk As required This sauce is also known as Russian Caramel and can be substituted for caramel sauce or butterscotch sauce. Here the Condensed milk tin is put into a boiling Bain-Marie or even a stockpot and left overnight or for at least 6 hours. Once it is cooled down and opened, the condensed milk would have transformed to a wonderful sauce. BRANDY SAUCE: Butter - 250 gms Icing Sugar - 150 gms Brandy - 70 litre Lemon Juice - 5 ml. The butter and the icing sugar are creamed till fluffy and the brandy and lemon juice are mixed in afterwards. This is a special sauce used for Christmas Pudding. CHERRY SAUCE: Morello Cherries- 500 gms Sugar - 350 gms Lemon Zest - 1 No. Red Wine -400 ml Vanilla - 15 ml Corn Starch -As Required Stone the cherries and cook with the rest of the ingredients except for the corn starch. When the cherries are cooked, remove the zest and pass the sauce through a sieve and boil again and thicken if necessary with cornstarch. A similar method is used to make the following sauce also: APRICOT SAUCE: Ripe Apricots - 500 gms Sugar - 500 gms Glucose - 60 gms MOUSSELINE SAUCE: Sugar -150 gms Water -120 gms Yolks -6 No.s Vanilla Pod - 1 piece Cream - 500 gms Boil the water, vanilla and sugar. Skim, strain and whisk it on to the yolks. Place over a double boiler and cook till it thickens. Remove from heat and whisk vigorously until cold. Part whip the cream and blend it in. Add liqueurs like Maraschino, Kirsch, or Burgundy or reduced fruit extracts to get various sauces like Kirsch Mousseline sauce, Burgundy Mousseline sauce, Lemon Mousseline Sauce, Orange Mousseline Sauce and Praline Mousseline Sauce. SABAYON / SAUCE SABAYON / ZABAGLIONE: Egg Yolks- 6 No.s Castor Sugar- 250 gms Dry White Wine -250 ml Vanilla/lemon juice- As Required Put all the ingredients into a basin and whisk over a double boiler until it is thick and creamy in consistency. Remove from heat and whisk until cold. Can be flavoured with lemon juice, orange juice, liqueurs, Marsala etc.