My Favorite Hot Beverages For the Holiday Season.

The holidays are here and (even in Charleston) the temps are chilly and I don’t know about you but I am 100% craving warm and cozy drinks! On a bitterly cold day there’s nothing better than a warming drink. In olden days I’d be at The Wren drinking their spiked cider, or at Bemelman’s, asking for a Hot Toddy but here we are… staying home and being cozy. So today I wanted to round up a few of my favorite hot beverages that are just perfect for the holiday season… while we aren’t throwing a holiday party this year these hot drinks are going to make you want to cuddle up, light a fire, and put on a movie marathon.

Without further ado, some of my favorite hot holiday drinks!

Hot Beverages For The Holiday Season

Spiked Hot Cocoa

For extra credit, give it a salted caramel rim… or grind up candy canes/peppermints to make a peppermint rim. OR, make a rim using gingerbread or cinnamon sugar. This gingerbread hot cocoa sounds so good. White hot chocolate is great, too. I like to spike my hot chocolate with Bailey’s, Peppermint Schnapps or whiskey! It’s so good with irish cream.

Chai Tea with Bourbon

OMG how good does this recipe sound? You don’t have to add bourbon but why wouldn’t you? I love the flavor of chai tea, and it pairs so perfectly with bourbon. And it’s so pretty garnished with a cinnamon stick or star anise. If you don’t feel like it’s sweet enough, add a little maple syrup.

Mulled Wine

I am a red wine girl and ohhhhh do I love spiced wine. It’s probably my favorite holiday drink. This time of year I always really miss The Spotted Pig in New York. They had the BEST mulled wine ever. It was so good. The Spotted Pig has since closed their doors (so sad) but luckily, their mulled wine recipe lives on!

Hot Toddy

I always thought making a hot toddy would be difficult but I swear to you, it’s SO easy… and also (don’t take this as medical advice!) a great way to relieve a sore throat or allergies. I love a good hot toddy (the above photo was taken at The One Hotel in DUMBO) and have my own recipe right this way!

Hot Buttered Rum

This is a classic winter drink and oh is it delicious! There are tons of recipes out there but my personal favorite is from the NY Times. The tradition would suggest brown sugar but you can also do it with maple syrup. Make the drink sweeter or spicier depending on what you like best. Yum, yum, yum.

Boozy Apple Cider

Oh how I love making this delicious mulled cider! The only thing better than hot apple cider is hot boozy apple cider! This is one of my all time favorite recipes. It’s extremely easy to make but always impressive. An absolute favorite in my cocktail recipe arsenal.

Eggnog

OK this is not warm but I needed to include it! My grandfather’s eggnog drink recipe is one of my most popular posts every holiday season and it’s just SO GOOD. This recipe is more of a dessert to be honest, but it’s so special and so delicious. Definitely don’t drink it warm… but… YUM. I promise it’s worth the extra work!

Tips for making hot beverages for the holiday season!

• Remember that you can substitute milk for other kinds of milk (almond, soy… I really like to use coconut milk!)
• If you are hosting a few people, you can use a slow cooker to keep beverages warm!
• Use a candy cane (or honey!) stirrer to add flavor and a fun little touch.
• Whiskey works for mostly all hot drinks (and I’m not even usually a whiskey drinker!) BUT Peppermint Schnapps isn’t so bad either!
• Don’t forget whipped cream. When we are making Christmas drinks! Whipped cream makes things feel extra decadent and fancy.

PS – My favorite aperitif, how to make the perfect Negroni, and my Christmas martini recipe!