Our Favourite Hot Winter Cocktails

The winter season has finally arrived and as usual, it’s brought two things with it: cold weather and parties. Now we all love a good party, but isn’t it a shame that we end up drinking cold cans out of the fridge or long drinks with ice when we’re already so cold?

The answer to this problem is hot cocktails. We’ve all tried mulled wine and hot rum at the Christmas markets, but did you know that these kinds of cocktails are easy to make at home? All you need is a slow cooker and a few choice ingredients, and you're ready to go.

Here are a few of our favourite hot winter cocktails to make at home:

Slow Cooker Spiced Wine

Spiced wine is a Christmas market staple and one of the first warm cocktails that most of us will try. Everyone has a favourite stall that serves spiced wine but we think this recipe will be able to top it!

Ingredients:

• 1 750ml bottle of merlot, zinfandel or cabernet sauvignon (see our wine selection here!)
• ¼ cup of honey
• 1 freshly juiced and zested orange
• 2 cups of apple cider
• 4 green cardamon pods
• 5 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 whole star anise
• ¼ cup of brandy

Method:

1. Pour the wine, honey, orange juice and zest and cider into the slow cooker and stir
2. Add the cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon and anise
3. Cook on a low setting until warm, this should take 30mins-1 hour depending on your slow cooker’s model
4. Stir in the brandy
5. Ladle into mugs and garnish with extra cinnamon sticks and orange slices. Keep the slow cooker on the “keep warm” setting until you are ready for more

Cranberry Apple Sangria

This cranberry apple sangria is a fun winter take on a summer classic. By warming up the sangria and adding some seasonal flavours you end up with a great drink for warming your guests up during the cold winter nights.

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of white wine
• 1 bottle of red wine
• 3 cups of apple cider
• 3 cups of cranberry juice
• 1 cup of brandy
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• ½ a cup of mulling spices
• Sliced apples
• Fresh cranberries

Method:

• Add the wine, cider, brandy and juice to the slow cooker and stir
• Add the mulling spices, cinnamon stick, apples and cranberries
• Heat on low until warm, this should take 1-2 hours depending on model
• Keep the slow cooker on “keep warm” in between servings

Cherry Pie Moonshine

Our next recipe moves away from the world of European Christmas markets to the south of America. This cherry pie moonshine recipe will make you feel as though you were celebrating the Christmas season with the Dukes of Hazard themselves!

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of cherries
• ½ a cup of sugar
• 1 litre of cherry juice
• 2 cups of vodka

Method:

1. Pour the cherries, sugar and cherry juice in the slow cooker, stir until mixed
2. Cook until the sugar dissolves, this should usually take 1-2 hours depending on model
3. Pour in the vodka
4. Serve in mason jars for the ultimate southern feel

Apple Cider Bourbon

This next recipe is simple, but it's by no means for the faint hearted. By mixing apple cider with bourbon whiskey you end up with a powerful cocktail that will put hairs on anyone’s chest! We find that the smokiness of the whiskey is perfectly complimented by the warm apple flavour, giving it a smooth, sophisticated taste.

Ingredients:

• 1 part bourbon whiskey
• 3 parts apple cider
• Cinnamon stick

Method:

1. Pour some apple cider into a slow cooker and heat on low for 1-2 hours depending on model
2. Pour 1 part bourbon whiskey into your glass and add 3 parts warm apple cider
3. Garnish with a cinnamon stick

So there you have it, four hot winter cocktail recipes that are sure to go down a storm at your next Christmas party! Why not try out a few of these recipes and let us know which is your favourite on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram?