When it’s cold and snowy or rainy outside, the idea of going out to a bar can be completely unappealing. What you need instead is a fun hot drink you can make within the warmth and comfort of your own home. From boozy hot chocolate to spiked apple cider, we’ve got lots of options for you here. These 26 winter-approved cocktails will warm your bones and keep you feeling nice and cozy all season long.
Let’s start with the basics—if you’re not a big hot cocktail drinker, there are a few classic ones you’re going to want to familiarize yourself with. Check out our buttered rum, mulled wine, hot toddy, and Irish coffee recipes, then feel free to get creative. You can switch up your cooking methods, like in our slow-cooker mulled wine or our Crock-Pot Butterbeer rum, and add different flavors, like in our Werthers or our Fireball hot toddies or our red wine hot chocolate.
Speaking of hot chocolate, you can add alcohol to pretty much any hot beverage, to great effect. Try our Rumchata hot cocoa, our Oreo mint white hot chocolate, our Dirty Snowmen, or our mudslide hot chocolate to see what we mean. More of an apple cider fan? Check out our boozy apple cider or our spiced cider hot toddies. Eggnog enthusiast? Though eggnog is often served cold, you can definitely also serve it warm, as evidenced by its spin-offs here, like our pumpkin spice eggnog white hot chocolate and our Rumchata eggnog.
Want even more cold-weather cocktail ideas? Check out our favorite fall and winter drinks too.
Mulled Wine
Making this mulled wine couldn't be easier: Combine a bottle of red with some orange slices, warm spices, honey, and brandy, and let it simmer for 10 minutes. THAT'S IT.
Get the Mulled Wine recipe.
Crockpot Red Wine Hot Cocoa
Red wine and hot chocolate might sound like a strange combo, but trust us, it works. This is going to be the best thing to come out of your slow cooker all winter.
Get the Crockpot Red Wine Hot Cocoa recipe.
Hot Buttered Rum
When it's freezing outside, rum is the only thing that'll do. Add in butter, sugar, ice cream, and healthy dose of cinnamon, and you've got heartwarming wintertime magic in a glass.
Get the Hot Buttered Rum recipe.
Hot Toddy
A Hot Toddy is the perfect drink to sip on when you're feeling under the weather or on a chilly Sunday afternoon. Best part is? You almost definitely have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now.
Get the Hot Toddy recipe.
Rumchata Hot Cocoa
Rumchata is having a moment, so we're putting it in everything, like our Rumchata cupcakes, eggnog, and pudding shots. TBH, we're kinda embarrassed about how long it took us to make this hot chocolate. OBVIOUSLY, it's a match made in heaven.
Get the Rumchata Hot Cocoa recipe.
Boozy Apple Cider
If you've just been apple picking and are wondering what to do with all those apples and cider you impulsively brought home, this recipe is for you. We like Fireball in these, but use whatever whiskey you like (or keep it non-alcoholic for the kiddos).
Get the Boozy Apple Cider recipe.
Irish Coffee
Coffee cocktails are a direct double-hit of caffeine and booze straight to the system that is perfect for the start or end of the night. It's the perfect combination of sweetened coffee, Irish whiskey, and (of course) whipped cream.
Get the Irish Coffee recipe.
Werther's Hot Toddies
A Hot Toddy is the perfect drink for cold winter nights. Add a Werther's candy to your next cup for extra caramel flavor, and make it even better to cuddle up with.
Get the Werther's Hot Toddies recipe.
Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Spiked with chocolate liqueur and peppermint schnapps, this hot cocoa recipe is definitely not for kids. Try it with marshmallows too!
Get the Peppermint Hot Chocolate recipe.
Classic Eggnog
Eggnog is the type of drink that people either love or really really hate. It's rich, creamy, and, well, egg-y. We fall into the camp of people who love it (like, really really love it), and we're serving it cold or hot all winter long.
Get the Classic Eggnog recipe.
Oreo Mint Hot Chocolate
This drink has everything you could ever want in a hot cocktail: Oreos, chocolate, and mint vodka.
Get the Oreo Mint White Hot Chocolate recipe.
Salted Caramel White Hot Chocolate
Salt and caramel are a match made in heaven, and together they take hot chocolate OVER. THE. TOP. We made these with white chocolate, but dark or milk will work too.
Dirty Chai Latte
Love a chai latte and want to make it extra special (and boozy)? We kept things simple for the base here—using just a chai bag, a few spices, and half-and-half—then added coffee liqueur to take it to the next level.
Get the Dirty Chai Latte recipe.
Pecan Pie Hot Chocolate
Christmas and Thanksgiving come together in this killer boozy hot chocolate that only has FIVE ingredients.
Get the Pecan Pie Hot Chocolate recipe.
Toasted Coconut Hot Chocolate
Give this holiday favorite an island getaway vibe with toasted coconut and rum. It's perfect to drink when you wish you were on vacation but are instead stuck at your parents' place for the holidays. 😉
Get the Toasted Coconut Hot Chocolate recipe.
Vanilla Latte Hot Chocolate
Turn your morning fave into your new go-to boozy bev, perfect for weekends or holiday mornings. We used Starbucks Via Instant Vanilla Latte mix, but feel free to swap in your favorite brand.
Get the Vanilla Latte Hot Chocolate recipe.
Pumpkin Spice Eggnog White Hot Chocolate
Pumpkin spiced eggnog makes this hot chocolate recipe the ultimate cold weather cocktail.
Dirty Snowmen
When you can't take snow any longer, boozy hot chocolate is the way to cope. This one might be our most over-the-top, indulgent spiked hot cocoa recipe—ever.
Get the Dirty Snowmen recipe.
Spiced Cider Hot Toddies
If all the flavors of fall could be condensed into drink form, this would be it. Feel free to swap out the honey for maple if you want this to be vegan.
Get the Spiced Cider Hot Toddies recipe.
Andes Mint HotChata
Warning: This stuff is DEADLY. It may taste innocent, but there's a lot of booze in there! To ensure none of it burns off in the making of this hot cocoa, make sure you never bring your mixture to a boil after you've added your alcohol. Just keep it at a low temperature until it's warmed to your liking.
Get the Andes Mint HotChata recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
