Hot Apple Grog
the one-pan winter cocktail
Heat the apple juice with the cinnamon stick, cloves, and star anise over low heat until steam rises. Let it steep for five minutes without boiling, otherwise the cloves will become sharp.
Rinse a heatproof Irish coffee glass with hot water so the drink doesn't cool down immediately.
Pour the rum, lemon juice, and honey into the warm glass.
Pour in the warm apple juice, without the spices, and stir until the honey has dissolved.
Garnish with a thin apple slice and place the cinnamon stick from the pan in the glass.
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What makes a cocktail wintery
In summer, a cocktail needs to cool you down; in winter, it should warm you up. There are two ways to do this. The first is literal: a hot drink such as mulled wine or the apple grog above. Never let wine or juice boil. Alcohol boils at 78 degrees and then evaporates along with the aroma of the spices. Heat it until steam begins to rise, around 70 degrees, and add the spirits to the glass only afterward. The second way is through flavor. Aged drinks such as bourbon, cognac and dark rum draw vanilla and caramel from the barrel, and you taste them as warmth, even in a cold cocktail. Spices do the same: cinnamon, cloves, star anise, ginger and nutmeg. Cream and egg add body, as in the Brandy Alexander. A little less citrus and a little more sweetness complete it. Drink a winter cocktail slowly, so it’s better to pour it small and well-balanced than large.
The right glass
A warm cocktail calls for heat-resistant glass. An Irish coffee glass of 24 to 28 cl has thick walls, a foot and often a handle, so you can hold it without burning your fingers. Rinse it first with hot water: a cold glass immediately draws heat from your drink. For cold winter cocktails such as a Rusty Nail, choose a heavy old fashioned glass. You’ll find all the warm models in the Irish coffee glasses collection.
Onis Acapulco Irish Coffee Glass 28 cl (6 pieces)
Libbey Sentido Irish Coffee Glass 26 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 33,90.
The right tools
For these winter cocktails, besides the glass, you use a bar spoon for stirring, a jigger for precise measuring, a citrus press and a nutmeg grater. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 4 bar tools together € 90,75.
What do you make these Winter Cocktails with?
For these winter cocktails, you need rum, whisky and cognac. Popular bottles include Captain Morgan Black Spiced and The Kraken. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with and which glass you need.
Seven cocktails for winter
Good to know
Hot cocktails for a group in one pan
Hot drinks are the easiest to prepare in advance because they require neither ice nor a shaker. For eight glasses, heat a liter of cloudy apple juice with four cinnamon sticks, eight cloves and three star anise pods. You do not need to scale the spices up completely, otherwise they will overpower the drink. Keep the pan on the lowest setting or pour everything into a preheated thermos flask so it stays hot for well over an hour. Put the rum beside it with a jigger, so everyone can pour 4 cl into their own glass. This way, the same pan also produces an alcohol-free version.
Which drinks work in winter cocktails
Choose drinks that have been aged in wood. Dark and spiced rum bring caramel and vanilla notes and work well in anything with apple or orange. Whisky pairs well with honey and lemon, as in the Hot Toddy; Irish whiskey is smoother than smoky Scotch. Cognac and vieux go well with cream, egg and raisins, as in Boerenjongens. For a sweet, spicy note, liqueurs such as Drambuie, amaretto and Licor 43 are useful: a splash in hot coffee or hot milk is already a winter cocktail. Clear spirits such as vodka add little to spices.
Winter cocktails without alcohol
Without rum, apple grog is a hot apple punch, which makes it a good choice for a mixed group. Replace the 4 cl of rum with 4 cl of strong black tea or rooibos to retain the dry undertone that the alcohol would otherwise provide. An extra half centiliter of lemon juice prevents it from becoming too sweet. Hot chocolate with a pinch of cinnamon and a strip of orange peel, or hot ginger tea with honey, are two other options that do not require a recipe. More alcohol-free ideas can be found under Mocktails.
Safely serving hot drinks in glassware
Not every glass can handle hot drinks. Thin glass can crack when you pour 70-degree liquid into it, especially if it comes from a cold cupboard. Choose heat-resistant glass, such as an Irish coffee glass or a double-walled tea glass, and rinse it with hot tap water first. Place a metal spoon in the glass while pouring; it absorbs some of the heat. Never pour boiling hot liquid; around 70 degrees is warm enough to drink and smell. A glass with a handle or stem is comfortable because the hot wall does not touch your fingers.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best-known winter cocktails?
Hot Toddy, Irish Coffee, glühwein, eggnog, and in the Netherlands, bisschopswijn. They are hot or creamy and center on whisky, rum, cognac, or red wine with spices. If you prefer to drink cold, choose a Rusty Nail or a Brandy Alexander: aged spirits with sweetness and spices, over ice or with cream.
Which glass do you use for hot cocktails?
A heat-resistant Irish coffee glass of 24 to 28 cl, or a double-walled glass that retains the heat and stays cool on the outside. Rinse it with hot water first so it does not crack and the drink stays warm. You can find double-walled models among the tea glasses.
How hot can a hot cocktail be?
Around 70 degrees: warm enough to steam, cool enough to drink right away. Never let wine or juice boil. Alcohol already boils at 78 degrees and then disappears along with the aroma of the spices, while cloves become harsh if they stay hot for too long.
What is the difference between glühwein and bisschopswijn?
Glühwein is the German version with cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and orange slices. Bisschopswijn is the Dutch Sinterklaas drink with an orange studded with cloves, a little more sugar and nutmeg, and a rounder flavor. Both are red wine gently heated; see Glühwein and Bisschopswijn.
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