Winter weddings are the best. They are perfect for snuggling, perfect for getting dressed to the nines, and perfect for drinking warm drinks. We have compiled our favorite warm, whiskey cocktails just for your snow globe wedding. Sit back and snuggle closely.
Kentucky Derby Coffee
This takes an Irish coffee (coffee + whiskey) and a mint julep and breeds them together into an unholy, warm wonder. Don’t even try to avoid a snuggly mood with your betrothed.
1 ½ part Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Bourbon
2 bunches of mint leaves
2 shots of espresso
1-2 teaspoons of honey
Make the espresso and let it cool a little (too hot and it will ruin the mint’s flavor). Muddle the mint and the honey and spread around the sides of a coffee cup. Put the cooled espresso and bourbon into a shaker, no ice, and shake. Pour into the coffee cup and garnish with mint.
Old-Fashioned Christmas
This is a recipe modified from a warm old-fashioned, offered by Maker’s Mark, so in honor of them, we’ll use Maker’s Mark whiskey for this delightful cocktail.
2 ounces of Maker’s Mark
2 ounces of hot water
1 dash of cranberry syrup
1 dash of peppermint syrup
A splash of club soda
3 dashes of Angostura Bitters
1 sugar cube
Garnish with sugared cranberries and crushed peppermint stick
Make in an Irish coffee cup. Lightly wet the rim of the cup and roll in crushed peppermint. Place the sugar cube at the bottom of the Irish coffee cup and pour three dashes of bitters over it. Mix hot water and bourbon in a separate cup. Pour the soda over the bitters/sugar mixture, then drop the syrups in. Finally, pour the hot water/bourbon mix into the cup. Roll cranberries in sugar, then cut them halfway through, slide on to the glass’ rim.
Red Wine Hot Chocolate
This hot chocolate is based on a New York Sour, but with a chocolatey twist. Sound weird? Don’t worry. You’re gonna love it.
2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups of shiraz
2 oz. rye of your choosing
1 1/2 cup of milk
1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean
Combine chocolate chips, wine, milk, and cream in crockpot on high heat. Mix every 10 minutes to ensure chocolate does not burn. Once chocolate is melted, mix one last time. Take the vanilla bean, cut it in half lengthwise, and scrape out the paste, then add to the mix. Add salt and extra sugar if desired. Serve in a coffee mug or Irish coffee cup.
Herbal Hot Toddy
Amaro Averna is a bitter digestif from Italy and it is starting to pick up traction despite its unusual flavor. It’s made of Mediterranean herbs, spices, and fruits. It has a delightfully bittersweet flavor with an underlying flavor of caramel. The makers keep its exact recipe hidden, but we assure you-- you’ll love it. Add the spiced syrup for extra layers.
1 oz. Averna
4 oz. hot coffee
½ oz. lime juice (less if you don’t care for sour tastes)
½ oz. spiced syrup (see recipe below)
Spiced Syrup (courtesy of seriouseats.com):
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole black peppers
4 cinnamon sticks
Combine water, brown sugar, peppercorns, and cinnamon sticks in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to simmer, stirring, and remove from heat. Cover and let sit for an hour and a half. Strain and store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to two weeks.
**note: add this to your Hot Old Fashioned for a new level of deliciousness.
Cocktail: Combine all in a teacup. Garnish with lime and juniper berries.
Crockpot Mulled Wine
Nothing says the holidays like a crockpot of mulled wine tootin’ away in the kitchen. This aromatic wine will fill your house with delicious smells and keep you warm all winter long.
2 bottles of dry, red wine
1 cup of honey
½ orange
½ cup of water
½ cup Irish whiskey
2 cinnamon sticks
7 whole cloves
½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
Dash of ginger
Peel the orange; save the peel. Juice the rest of the orange into the crockpot. Add 1 bottle of wine, honey, water, and spices to the crockpot. Leave on for two hours at low heat. Add whiskey and remaining wine. Serve with orange peel garnish.
Hot Butterbeer
Ever since the opening of the Harry Potter World parks, everyone has been crazy about butterbeer. We made up our own recipe for a hot, butterscotch flavored drink that is sure to warm even the grumpiest of Muggles right up.
1 cup of butterscotch schnapps
1 oz. Jack Daniels Honey
1 cup of scotch
1 ½ cups of milk
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1.2 cups cream soda
4 oz. Fluffernutter
4 Tbsp butterscotch syrup
Beat marshmallow fluff, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, and 2 Tbsp. butterscotch syrup together until it is fluffy. That’s your topping. Set aside in the fridge.
Then, heat up the milk and the rest of the butterscotch syrup in a saucepan. Add the rest of the heavy whipping cream and bring up to about 120 degrees (F). Add the rest of the butterscotch syrup and the butterscotch schnapps. Then, add the cream soda and whiskey. Serve hot in mug or Irish coffee glass.
