Winter Cocktail Ingredients
We often talk about seasonal cocktails. What makes a cocktail better suited for one season versus another? It usually has to do with the flavor profile of the ingredients. For example, we typically consider any drink with Orgeat (a sweet almond syrup) to be for warmer season cocktails, since it is commonly used in tiki drinks, which we associate with warm beaches and tropical vacations. Well, the same is true for winter cocktails in that certain flavors and spices are commonly associated with colder months. In some cases, the association to winter is obvious. A Hot Toddy, or other hot cocktail, is an obvious choice simply based on the temperature of the drink. However, other ingredients, like cinnamon or cardamom, may remind you of baked goods during the holiday season.
Here, we share a variety of products that are great ingredients to have on hand when making cocktails during the winter season.
SKI SEASON SANGRIA
The seasonality of this product is built right into the name! What makes this mixer perfect for the winter is its combination of cranberry, orange, cinnamon, clove and allspice. These are popular winter spices for their warming effect. Just mix it with rum, like our versatile silver Rum 44, and you’re ready to go.
MOLE BITTERS
Mole betters combine chocolate with spice to add depth to cocktails. It works great to add a kick of flavor to a spiked hot chocolate, but also complements the complex flavors in cocktails like a Manhattan or Old Fashioned. The Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters combine cocoa, cinnamon and spice for a warming quality that gives it a hint of Mexican chocolate.
CHICORY PECAN BITTERS
These bitters are a Good Food Award winner! These aromatic bitters combine the warming flavors of coffee, chicory, pecan and cinnamon. It works particularly well in brown spirits, and in cocktails like an Old Fashioned, or even in spiced cider drinks.
SPICED DEMERARA
Spiced Demerara by Cocktail & Sons is a syrup made with a variety of baking spices that are sure to remind you of the winter season. Raw sugar combines with peppercorns, allspice, coriander, cassia bark, wild cherry bark and orange peel. As you might have guessed, this makes it a great syrup in an Old Fashioned, but it’s also great in Sazeracs!
BLACK WALNUT BITTERS
Another Good Food Awards winner, these aromatic bitters add a complex, rich and nutty flavor to cocktails. Made with walnuts and black walnut leaf, as well as clove, roasted cacao nibs, allspice and black peppercorns, the warming spices here make it a great addition to bourbon cocktails like a Manhattan.
NAUGHTY FIGGY BITTERS
One of the newer additions to our Burlington Tasting Room, Naughty Figgy Bitters from Bitter Queens is a flavorful blend of figs, cocoa, black walnut, cinnamon, gentian and citrus. We recently featured these bitters in a riff on a French 75, but they also work great into winter drinks like an egg nog, coquito, and hot buttered rum, as well as in a Manhattan.
HOT TODDY MIXERS
A Hot Toddy is a winter cocktail staple, typically combining bourbon, hot water, honey and lemon. These mixers from Wood Stove Kitchen make it easy to sip on something warm, because all you need to do is combine them with Bourbon and hot water. The Honey, Lemon & Ginger mixer contains a blend of spices including clove, and the Spiced Apple mixer contains a blend of apple juice, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and orange zest.
BOGARTS & BOKERS BITTERS
Bogarts Bitters are said to have started the cocktail movement, appearing in the first cocktail book ever published, back in 1862. These bitters contain a special warming blend of dark spice, chocolatey coffee and European spices that works well in a variety of cocktails. When Bogarts are unavailable, we recommend Bokers Bitters for its unique blend of warming spices, with a cardamom woody nose and a cardamom, coffee and orange taste.
These are just some of the products we carry at our Burlington Tasting Room that work great in winter cocktails. For specific winter cocktail recipe ideas, be sure to check out our Winter Cocktail Recipes blog post. While our Straight Bourbon, Burnt Rock Bourbon and Revolution Rye are popular go-to spirits in the winter, there are plenty of rum options to get you through the cold months as well. Check out our Rum In The Cold Season blog post for rum recipes featuring our Vanilla Rum, Rum 44, Maple Cask Rum, First Run Rum, and PX Rum. Also, If you ever visit our retail section and are looking for recommendations, our team is always happy to help!
Happy sipping!
Written and published by Brianne Lucas on January 21, 2025.