Winter requires warm beverages; winter requires cold beverages. Winter asks for boozy cocktails; winter asks for nonalcoholic drinks. These are the months where the range of drinking demands vacillate daily. Consider this cocktail collection your survival map.
Boulevardier
The Negroni has been on an overtaking mission of American drinking for some years. The Boulevardier is that gently bitter, boozy cocktail’s brown-liquor cousin. Gin steps into the wings; bourbon hops center stage.
Cardamom-Rose Bhang
Fragrant with fennel seeds, cardamom and turmeric, this Indian nonalcoholic beverage is a celebration in liquid form. The spices are whirred with milk, rose water, sugar and almonds, along with a touch of dried cannabis for an astringency that balances the drink’s sweet richness.
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Everything Nice (Spiced-Rum Coffee With Butterscotch Whipped Cream)
Whiskey so often is coffee’s best boozy mate. Imagine spiced rum in its stead, providing its sugarcane roundness and kicky bite. And if you are going to gild the caffeinated lily, you may as well commit: Butterscotch whipped cream slips the hot cocktail into a new comforting timeline.
Paloma
If the margarita is the Mexican-inspired drink of summertime, the Paloma is the Mexico-birthed drink for the briskest months. It is a simple combination of tequila, lime juice and grapefruit (often grapefruit soda). So simple you can assemble it in your sleep — and lethargy is the mood for winter.
Peppery Ginger Cider
One version of a good winter drink is a warm cocktail that soothes and enlivens, in equal measure. Put together apple cider with bourbon, ginger liqueur and a touch of cracked black pepper for an affable hot take on a toddy.
Scarlet Spritz
Start by infusing a bottle of Aperol with fresh strawberries overnight. Rinse a Nick and Nora glass with a whisper of absinthe. Stir the infused Aperol with Lillet Blanc and bitters; add sparking wine to finish. A splash of low-alcohol luxury to guide you through winter.
Winter Pimm’s Cup
Tropical; heady; spiced: This version of a Pimm’s Cup features Pimm’s No 1, of course, alongside apple juice, cinnamon and ginger syrups, and lemon and grapefruit juices. It sings like a mai tai but in a different key.
