We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

5 Bourbon Cocktails To Drink (Or Modify) In The Winter

Bourbon is a type of whiskey that doesn't always get the love that it deserves. Made from a mash that must include at least 51% corn, this spirit is an ideal choice for chilly weather drinks for its rich flavor. Making the right winter bourbon cocktail should take a few factors into consideration, including whether or not you want a beverage that's served warm and what other tastes you want to include to create a cohesive drink. Among the myriad bourbon cocktail recipes, standouts for the colder season include an apple cider hot toddy, winter Boulevardier, spiced chai old fashioned, Kentucky mule, and a red queen cocktail. These drinks focus on warming spices (including some beverages that are meant to be served warm) and highlight the flavors of the season, making them the best choice to enjoy in the winter.

Advertisement

The versatility of bourbon comes from its spicy and sweet flavor, characterized by notes of vanilla and caramel and charred oak from the barrels in which the bourbon is aged. This means it can accompany a variety of different mixers in addition to being a great spirit swap in other cocktails with similar flavor profiles. When you think of winter flavors, apples, spices, and rich herbs typically come to mind. These all play incredibly well with bourbon's signature taste for a batch of cocktails guaranteed to satisfy and delight when imbibed responsibly. Carefully customizing your warm and spice-filled beverage will make it a new winter go-to.

Apple cider hot toddy

A warm and cozy hot toddy is a hallmark beverage of the winter season. Made simply with a minimal list of ingredients that includes boiling water, whiskey, lemon juice, and honey, this drink is a perfect place to substitute a portion of bourbon in place of general whiskey for a more robust taste. Served hot, this cocktail is also ideal to keep warm in the winter and allows for a bevy of other fun customizations that can amplify the flavors to create a magnificent cold weather sipper. Consider garnishing the side of your mug with an orange slice that has cloves stuck into it or rimming the mug with a dusting of cinnamon sugar for an extra hint of sweetness.

Advertisement

Leaning into the flavors of the season, you can also prepare an apple cider hot toddy recipe, which prominently features bourbon in addition to ginger, cinnamon, and a generous portion of apple cider. Add a small piece of star anise for a licorice-flavored element or a drizzle of Mike's Hot Honey (available on Amazon) in place of a standard honey for an extra helping of sweet heat.

Winter boulevardier

A sumptuous sipper that swaps bourbon in place of the traditional gin of a Negroni, the classic boulevardier cocktail is a simple recipe with elevated taste. A mixture of Campari and sweet vermouth with a lush pour of bourbon and an orange twist to garnish, this alone makes it a wonderful wintertime cocktail. Of course, there are plenty of ways to upgrade this classic recipe to create a drink that is even more attuned to the flavors and feelings of winter weather. Putting a spin on the traditional recipe, a winter boulevardier cocktail recipe introduces red vermouth in place of the standard sweet version and an Italian herbal liqueur called Amaro in place of the Campari. Finishing off the drink is the usual orange garnish alongside a small pine branch for an extra wintery look and aroma.

Advertisement

This winter overlay of a traditional cocktail goes to show how small tweaks, swaps, and additions can turn a standard beverage into one that's perfectly themed to the current season or your newest taste obsession. For even more seasonal goodness, amp up your winter Boulevardier glass with a rim of Bartesian Golden Demerara Sugar (available on Amazon) or serve your drink along with a dish of buttery shortbread cookies.

Spiced chai old fashioned

An old fashioned boasts minimal ingredients, including simple syrup, Angostura bitters, bourbon, and an orange peel for garnish with an optional addition of a Luxardo cherry, making it one of several notable bourbon drinks that highlight the flavor of the spirit. For those who love bourbon in the winter time, an old fashioned is the pinnacle of a perfectly crafted cocktail. Of course, if you want to spice things up with an addition of warmth and sweetness, a spiced chai old fashioned is the way to go. In lieu of the typical simple syrup, this version uses a simple syrup infused with chai spices for a sophisticated warming element. In place of the usual Angostura bitters are black walnut bitters, which give a more nutty and earthy richness to the overall flavor of the drink. The addition of star anise and cinnamon sticks for garnish give this drink both the look and feel of winter time.

Advertisement

Although this drink is served chilled with ice, the inclusion of warming spices both in the simple syrup and garnish create the feeling of warmth in each sip, more so than that of a typical old fashioned. To enhance this sensation, try rubbing an orange peel around your glass and adding a light dusting of ground cinnamon and clove to the rim. In contrast, a brown sugar rim will create an additional level of sweetness to balance out the spice.

Red wine, bourbon, & amaro cocktail

Inspired by the editors of PUNCH, this cocktail, colloquially known as a red queen, is a beautiful blend of red wine, bourbon, and Amaro. The mixture of earthy and herbal flavors comes from a recipe in the 2018 book Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktail (available on Amazon) and is a wonderful bourbon drink to warm and comfort you in the chilly months. The acidity of the red wine counters the earthy herbal notes while the punch of bourbon brings a smoky sweetness to round everything out. Including additions of fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary sprigs along with a lemon wheel for a garnish is what really takes this drink to the next level, particularly as it plays off of the herbal elements in the Amaro liqueur.

Advertisement

Crafting this cocktail is fairly simple and yields a hearty sipping beverage that will soothe you in the cold winter months. Try rubbing lemon juice around your glass and crushing up the herb garnish with which to rim your glass for an enhanced level of herbal flavor. You can also choose from one of the many types of red wine to find one that will best suit your taste preferences and mix well with the other ingredients in the drink. Don't be afraid to get creative and lean into the tastes that you love the most to fully customize your beverage.

Kentucky mule

The humble Moscow mule cocktail fuses the spicy intensity of ginger beer with a punch of vodka and tart lime juice. In a nod to its roots, the Kentucky mule swaps vodka for bourbon for an even richer overall flavor. The spice and heat of the ginger beer as it mixes with the bourbon and lime notes really make this the ultimate winter cocktail with warming sensations that will fill you both inside and out, further going to show why ginger beer pairs so well with bourbon. This simple swap of vodka for bourbon is an easy way to make the most of your mule in a wintertime setting. Of course, there are plenty of other ways to turn up the heat on this warming cocktail.

Advertisement

For an enhanced presence of ginger, you can either muddle small pieces or fresh ginger or add thin slices of the root to your drink. Swap calamansi for lime juice to give an upgrade to the tart citrus notes. Throw a dash of honey into the mix or add a cinnamon stick as a garnish for an amped up spice factor. However you choose to prepare your Kentucky mule, remember to enjoy it responsibly and share with friends to keep warm all winter long.

Recommended

Advertisement