Winter Is Whiskey Drinking Weather

Old Man Winter has officially gripped much of the Northern Hemisphere in an icy embrace. 

And that, of course, means it is time to warm up at the hearth—whether real or hosted by your favorite streaming service—and break out the good whiskey.

We got top bartenders from around the country to share their best cocktail recipes for fending off a frost, including a gingery Hot Toddy and a cinnamon-flecked sour.

So if you’re expecting snow, sleet or freezing rain, hunker down and whip up one of these delicious drinks that are as comforting as wrapping yourself in a giant quilt.  

Nothing warms the mind and body quite like a good Hot Toddy, and this version from all-star Portland, Oregon, bartender and author Jeff Morgenthaler pulls out all the stops. He not only adds a bit of spice to this bourbon-based Toddy with ginger-honey syrup, but he also dials up the flavor even more with the addition of allspice liqueur.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5 oz Bulleit Bourbon
• 1 oz Ginger-honey syrup
• .75 oz Lemon juice
• 1 tsp Allspice or pimento dram
• 3 oz Boiling water
• Glass: Mug
• Garnish: Orange peel

DIRECTIONS:

Add all the ingredients, except the water, to a preheated mug. Top with boiling water and garnish with an orange peel.

A cocktail doesn’t have to be hot to fortify you against freezing temperatures. Take, for instance, this twist on an Old-Fashioned from award-winning Brooklyn bartender Julie Reiner. It features not just whiskey but also rum, which is a delicious mix, as well as a touch of macadamia nut syrup that lends the concoction opacity and texture. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 oz Bulleit Rye
• 1 oz Ron Zacapa Rum
• .25 oz Macadamia nut orgeat
• 2 dashes Bitterman’s Mole Bitters
• Glass: Old-Fashioned

DIRECTIONS:

Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir, and strain into an Old-Fashioned glass filled with one large ice cube. 

Top New York bartender Karl Franz Williams takes the classic sour recipe—think Daiquiris and Margaritas—and gives it a winter makeover. He balances the bourbon with rum, lemon juice, cinnamon syrup and orange blossom-infused honey syrup. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5 oz Bulleit Bourbon
• .75 oz Jamaican dark rum
• .75 oz Lemon juice
• .5 oz Cinnamon syrup
• .5 oz Orange blossom water-infused honey syrup
• Glass: Coupe
• Garnish: Orange twist

DIRECTIONS:

Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake well, and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

One of the (many) fantastic things about using whiskey in cocktails is its capacity to support a host of big, wintertime flavors. Famed San Francisco bartender Josh Harris layers herbal, fruity and chocolatey ingredients in this decadent drink. Put on your coziest sweater and mix one up this evening.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5 oz Bulleit Bourbon
• .5 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
• .5 oz Green Chartreuse 
• .25 oz Luxardo Maraschino
• 6 drops Cacao tincture 
• Glass: Coupe
• Garnish: Flamed orange peel

DIRECTIONS:

Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir, and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a flamed orange peel.