Warm Cocktails: Mixologists Share Recipes For Winter Gatherings

From having chilled beers to margaritas during the peak summer months, as soon as the temperature drops, your cravings shift to a warm mug. Whether it's a cup of hot chocolate or a cosy cocktail, the winter season makes you transition to warm concoctions that feel like a comforting embrace. 

Using warmer spirits like rum and whisky, you can create cocktails that are perfect for a winter gathering. Whether you’re having friends over for a house party or you just want to unwind with a drink after a hectic week, you deserve some cocktails that not just intoxicate but also insulate. So, Slurrp has compiled a list of winter cocktail recipes specially designed by Indian mixologists that you can’t miss trying.

Monk’s Embrace

By Nibaran Mandal, Sr. F&B Supervisor, Hotel Deltin Suites, Goa

Ingredients:

• 60 ml old monk rum
• 20 ml fresh lemon juice
• 20 ml honey
• 150 ml hot water
• a pinch of cajun spice
• Garnish: star anise & cinnamon stick

Method:

1. In a heatproof mug or glass, add the honey, lemon juice, and Cajun spice.
2. Pour in the hot water and stir until the honey is fully dissolved.
3. Add the old monk rum and stir gently to blend the flavours.
4. Garnish with a star anise and a cinnamon stick.

Also Read: From Munakka To Kali Mirch: Know My Dadi-Nani’s Desi Nuske For The Changing Season

The Twist

By Kiyevi Rochill, Head Bartender, JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru

Ingredients:

• 60 ml cognac
• 5 ml maple syrup
• 3 drops of range bitters
• Orange zest, for garnish
• Smoked glass, for serving

Method:

1. Prepare the serving glass by igniting a cinnamon stick and trapping the resulting smoke inside the glass to infuse the aroma.
2. Combine the Cognac, maple syrup, and orange bitters in a mixing glass. And stir the mixture.
3. Strain the chilled cocktail into the prepared, smoked glass, and finish with fresh orange zest to express the citrus oils over the drink.
4. Garnish with orange zest and serve.

Smoky Brandy

By Krishna Mandrekar, Senior Bartender, Deltin Royale, Goa

Ingredients:

• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 cardamom pods
• 6 cloves
• 2 slices of ginger
• Honey, as required (for rimming)
• 15 ml sugar syrup
• 10 ml lime juice
• 30 ml brandy
• 30 ml whiskey
• 60 ml hot water
• 1 masala tea bag

Method:

1. In a shaker, add the cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves, and ginger. Muddle gently to release the aromatics.
2. Pour in 60 ml of hot water and add the masala tea bag. Allow it to steep briefly.
3. Strain the mixture into a glass.
4. Add 30 ml brandy, 30 ml whiskey, 10 ml lime juice, and 15 ml sugar syrup.
5. Infuse the drink with cinnamon smoke, then drop the smoked cinnamon stick into the cocktail.
6. Rim the glass with honey. Garnish with a lime wheel, ginger, and a cinnamon stick.
7. Serve in a brandy balloon glass.