24 Easy Winter Cocktails to Make at Home

Baby, it’s cold outside! We’ve something for everyone! From pre-dinner warmers to dessert replacements, the ‘super-simple-to-make’ drinks and a few with a little more effort to impress. We have plenty of easy winter cocktail recipes to choose from, just take your pick.

1. French 75 Cocktail

The dapper French 75 cocktail is named after a French field gun used in World War I. This cocktail has the facade of a delicate drink with deceptively strong kick. Created in New York, this prohibition classic is made with gin, Prosecco (or Champagne), lemon juice and simple syrup. Simply shaken up over ice and strained into a sugar-rimmed flute for all the glamour a French lady deserves.

Encore, s’il vous plaît: Be a Little Extra With These 9 French Cocktails

2. Mulled Wine

Winter is the season for long chilly walks, plates of comfort food and a glass of something delicious. Have you tried our Easy Mulled Wine recipe yet? It’s one of those easy to make winter cocktails. Simply simmer red wine, baking spices, a splash of brandy and sliced citrus in a saucepan. It’s tasty, warning and hassle-free. The bonus? It’s light on your pocket, which means it’s the perfect drink to serve if you’re on a festive-season budget. This is fuss-free hosting at its best!

3. Hot Toddy

Your list of easy winter cocktails  should include the classic Hot Toddy. The simplest of the easy large batch winter cocktails. It can be whipped up in no time for a crowd. Bourbon gives this warm sip a comforting caramel flavour, especially when mixed with honey and spice. If bourbon isn’t your cup of tea, try it with rum or cognac. After all, some of  the best cocktails are invented when you go off piste.

Brandy love: 8 Apple Brandy Cocktail Recipes to Get You in the Mood for Fall

4. Big Apple Manhattan

Any Manhattan cocktail will warm you from the inside out. Made with three familiar parts; whiskey, vermouth and aromatic bitters, our Big Apple Manhattan brings a tasty apple pie twist. To make this easy three-part cocktail, follow our classic recipe, swap the vermouth for apple brandy and garnish with thin slice of apple.

5. Caramel Irish Coffee

Kick the winter blues to the curb with this indulgent nightcap. To make a Caramel Irish Coffee, follow our recipe for Irish Coffee. And before adding the whipped cream topping, stir in a cheeky shot of Irish cream liqueur along with 30 ml of butterscotch schnapps (or butterscotch sauce).  Make this drink for your most deserving friends and family.

6. Sidecar Cocktail

This delicious, citrusy Sidecar cocktail combines cognac, orange liqueur and fresh lemon juice. It’s a downright delicious drink which is said to be the inspiration to a host of other classic cocktails, like the Margarita and the Cosmo. One of the perfect easy winter cocktails to make at home.

You might also like: 8 Orange Liqueur Cocktails That Zest the Best

7. Cranberry Orange Whiskey Sour

Make a gorgeous, layered Cranberry Orange Whisky Sour with 60 ml of Wild Turkey 101 Whiskey, a tablespoon of Grand Marnier, 30 ml of unsweetened cranberry juice, 90 ml of fresh OJ, a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake all the ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled glass. Top with ginger beer and garnish with an orange twist.

More sour drinks: 18 Sour Cocktail Recipes to Add to Your DIY Drinks Repertoire

 8. White Russian

A creamy White Russian is sure to stop a sweet craving in its tracks. To make this dreamy cocktail, you only need five minutes and three ingredients: coffee liqueur, SKYY Vodka and proper heavy cream. The result? A decadent and highly drinkable treat that you can serve all year round.

Vegan options: Your guide to making creamy vegan cocktails

9. Irish Mule

If you love Irish whiskey’s strong vanilla and fruity flavours, then put a spin on the zesty Moscow mule. For something entirely different, just replace the vodka with whiskey and make an Irish Mule. Don’t let us hold you up.

10. Snowball

The Snowball cocktail is a seriously retro cocktail loaded with indulgence. It’s an easy mix of just three ingredients; advocaat, lime and sparkling lemonade. For those of you who don’t know, advocaat is a Dutch spirit made with brandy, sugar and eggs. Making a Snowball cocktail is perfect for the novice drink maker as it doesn’t require any fancy bar tools. Simply pour the ingredients into a glass and garnish with a bright red cherry.

11. Pumpkin Pie Martini

Calling all pumpkin pie lovers! Learn how to make our spiced Pumpkin Pie Martini this winter. This tasty dessert cocktail is packed with decadence, with luscious Irish cream playing a starring role. This is combined with vanilla vodka, pumpkin purée and your favourite baking spices, and the result is the perfect after-dinner treat on a cold evening.

More pumpkin flavour: An Indulgent Hot Pumpkin Pie Cocktail for Thanksgiving

12. Tiramisu White Russian

If you love for a White Russian, you’re going to want to try the Tiramisu version. It’s part cocktail, part dessert! Shake up 60 ml of heavy cream and a teaspoon of sugar in a mason jar until it’s soft and peaky. Fill a tumbler with a handful of ice and stir in 60 ml of both coffee liqueur and Appleton Estate Signature rum. Top with sweetened cream, dust with cocoa powder and dunk a ladyfinger cookie right into the middle of the drink.

More winter warmers: 11 Best Winter Cocktail Recipes (with Bourbon, Whiskey, Gin & More)

13. Easy Rum Eggnog

For a quick and easy eggnog with extra depth of flavour, this is the recipe to try. It’s a quick dry shake of 45 ml of both Appleton Estate Signature rum and ruby port, a tablespoon of sugar syrup and a whole egg. Then add a handful of ice and shake again before straining into a wine glass with a good dusting of nutmeg. All that’s left to do now is to find a comfy place in front of the fire.

More festive inspo: 9 Best Christmas Cocktails You Can Make This December

14. Pomegranate Margarita

A Pomegranate Margarita is a perfectly tart sip that offers relief from comfort food, so it’s a great drink to serve during festive-time indulgence. To make this tangy sweet cocktail, mix up our Lime Margarita, and add 60 ml pomegranate juice. The vibrant festive pink adds sparkle to any winter table.

15. Paloma

The Paloma is another zesty cocktail with plenty of tang. It’s a light, bubbly cocktail made with good tequila, grapefruit, lime juice and soda water. It’s the perfect serve with winter roasts, festive feasts or any indulgent comfort food. The sparkly citrus fizz of a Paloma also makes it ideal to pair with spicy food.

Zest some more: 13 Easy Tequila Summer Cocktails for Beginners

16. Brown Sugar Old-Fashioned

Give our favourite Old Fashioned extra wintery richness. For an ultra-cosy cocktail, mix in the dark caramels of a brown sugar syrup and pair it with vanilla, pear and spiced Wild Turkey Bourbon. The rich sweet flavours will keep the winter blues at bay, and it just feels downright old-fashioned.

Winter warming: 11 Best Winter Cocktail Recipes (with Bourbon, Whiskey, Gin & More)

17. Hot Buttered Rum

A Hot Butter Rum will wrap you up in its cosy warm blanket! Keep this cocktail up your sleeve to enjoy fireside with friends, after long wintery walks. This sweet rum concoction is best made in a batch, so whip up the spiced caramel butter. It’s easy to make and store for when the urge strikes. Beat up some butter with brown sugar to sweeten along with your favourite wintery spices. Ready the kettle and add a spoon of spiced butter to each mug. Just pour in an ounce of rum with a little boiling water. Stir as it all melts into perfection. One of the best easy large winter cocktails. 

More hot drinkspiration: All the Hot Rum Cocktails You Will Ever Need

18. Blood Orange Margarita

The blend of sweet blood orange juice and cheeky bitter Campari makes for a heavenly winter Margarita . Our Blood Orange Margarita is a cocktail with all the tang, perfect to enjoy when the winter season is abundant with this crimson fruit.

More tequila: What is the Best Margarita Recipe? 10 Ways to Make a Margarita

19. Negroni

The quintessential (and much-loved) Negroni is a must on our quick and easy cocktail list! Just the kind of easy gin cocktails winter evenings need. It’s seriously simple to make with an easy to remember recipe of equal parts gin, Campari and sweet red vermouth. Don’t get left out. Enjoy this popular cocktail with the rest of the globe!

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20. Classic Martini

If you are a newbie to the whole cocktail making game, then the Classic Martini is an excellent place to start. You’ll look like a pro without breaking a sweat! It’s a simple mix of gin and vermouth, with a garnish of either cocktail olives or a lemon twist. It loves being served icy cold, so give it a vigorous shake (or stir). Pour into a chilled V-shaped glass to experience its full deliciousness.

More Martini love: 14 Types of Martinis You Should Know

21. Caipirinha

Brighten up the day with a Brazilian Caipirinha cocktail. This zesty, fizzy drink is perfect to sip alongside rich comfort food. If you’re cooking up something spicy then, this cocktail is a perfect match to douse chilli-fuelled flames.

22. Moscow Mule

The Moscow Mule is a delicious bubbly mix of ginger beer, lime and vodka. You can spot it a mile away in its traditional copper mug with plenty of fresh mint poking over the top. The warming effect of ginger beer makes this cocktail great for chilly winter evenings around the fire with friends.

Like ginger beer: All the Tangy Ginger Beer Cocktails You’ll Ever Need!

23. Chocolate Martini

When it’s cold out and the chocolate cravings start, it’s time to whip up a Chocolate Martini. This cocktail is the indulgent treat you can skip dessert for. It’s a quick martini to prepare with just three ingredients; chocolate liqueur, crème de cacao and SkYY Vodka. Serve it in a cocktail glass with cocoa-powder rim.

24. Amaretto Sour

If you love a classic Whiskey Sour as much as we do, then try our lovely Amaretto Sour. This classic winter cocktail is a blend of nutty almond-flavoured liqueur, a good bourbon, lemon juice, bitters and an egg white froth. Serve this classic winter after-dinner drink with a gorgeous cheeseboard.

There you have it – 24 completely easy winter cocktail recipes to try at home when you need warming from the inside out.