Must Have Winter Cocktails with Bourbon

The Best Winter Cocktails with Bourbon And Whiskey To Enjoy Inside and Out

When the temperature drops and the air turns crisp, cold weather cocktails with bourbon and whiskey become the ultimate seasonal sip. With deep notes of caramel, vanilla, oak and warming spice, bourbon and whiskey deliver richness and complexity that define cold-weather entertaining. The delicious liquid delivers warmth that feels just right whether you are curled up fireside or hosting friends under a heated lamp.

Cocktails with bourbon or whiskey to enjoy inside and out bring versatility to winter entertaining. So which spirit to choose? That depends if you prefer a sweeter sip, or something with a little more flavor. Indoors, picture a slow-sipped maple Old Fashioned, a spiced bourbon hot toddy steeped with citrus and clove, or a whiskey sour with winter citrus to create a cozy, inviting atmosphere. Outside, a smoky whiskey cider, bourbon-spiked hot chocolate or herb-infused whiskey punch that would stand up beautifully to crisp air and rooftop celebrations.

Cocktails with bourbon or whiskey are not just drinks but an experience. Bold yet smooth, comforting yet refined, they elevate everything. They are indulgent without being heavy, classic yet endlessly customizable. Whether you are planning a cozy night in or elevating a winter soirée bourbon and whiskey cocktails deliver flavor, warmth, and seasonal sophistication in every sip. Below are some of our favorite winter cocktails with bourbon and whiskey that deliver richness and complexity that define cold-weather entertaining. These seasonally appropriate drinks are the perfect libations to curl up with a good book or as an après ski cocktail to help you defrost from your snow-filled outdoor adventures. Whatever the activity, these soul-warming elixirs will help you enjoy the coziest season.

Discover Winter Cocktails With Bourbon And Whiskey That Warm Every Gathering

Maple Toddy

A cozy, seasonal favorite featuring Wyoming Whiskey’s sherry cask finished Double Cask.

Ingredients:

2oz Wyoming Whiskey Double Cask
0.75oz maple syrup
0.25oz lemon juice
3oz hot water

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a toddy glass and stir to combine. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Wyoming Whiskey Snake River Sour

Ingredients:

1.5oz Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch
0.5oz Fresh lime juice
0.5oz Fresh lemon juice
0.5oz Simple syrup
1 Egg white
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Method:

Reverse dry shake bourbon, lime juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white in a shaker. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with cherries and a few dashes of bitters.

Rye Cider

Ingredients:

0.5oz Wyoming Whiskey Outryder
4oz hard cider
1.5oz apple cider
0.25oz Aperol
0.5oz lemon juice

Method:

Combine all ingredients. Serve in a Collins glass over ice. Top with club soda and garnish with an apple slice.

My Rye Toddy

Ingredients

1 1/2 parts Basil Hayden Dark Rye Whiskey
¾ part Honey Simple Syrup *
¼ part Lemon Juice
7 parts Hot Apple Cider
Cinnamon Stick
3-4 Cranberries

Method:

Heat 7 parts of apple cider over stove in a pot. Once it is hot, remove from heat and add remaining ingredients into pot and stir to make sure flavors are absorbed. Strain mixture into an insulated mug and garnish with cranberries.

*Honey Simple Syrup Recipe: Combine equal parts honey and equal parts water over heat until dissolved.

Mulled Hot Rye Cider

Courtesy Scott Harris, founder and general manager of Catoctin Creek Distilling Co.

Ingredients:

½ Gallon of apple cider
2 satsuma oranges
1 honey crisp apple
3 cinnamon sticks
10 cloves
1 part Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye whisky

Method:

Thinly slice the oranges and apple horizontally. Pour the cider in a large pot and add the slices of fruit, the cinnamon sticks and cloves. Bring to a boil over high heat then lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for about 30 minutes until fragrant. Fill up mugs about three quarters full and add about an ounce of rye whiskey to each mug. Garnish with an apple or orange slice, half a cinnamon stick and cloves.

Best Spuds

Courtesy Brandon “Habi” Habenstein, beverage director of The Kitchen & Bar at Bardstown Bourbon Company

Ingredients:

1 oz Bardstown Bourbon Co. Fusion Series
1 oz sweet potato butter*
3 oz boiling water
Freshly grated nutmeg

Method:

Combine bourbon and sweet potato butter in a mug. Top with boiling water. Stir to combine. Grate nutmeg on top.

* Sweet Potato Butter :

2 cups peeled, chopped sweet potatoes
8 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup raw sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions: Boil peeled, chopped sweet potatoes until quite soft (~20 minutes). Drain liquid and mash while hot. Add remaining ingredients to mashed potatoes. Stir until thoroughly blended––the creamier, the better.

Cowgirl Coffee

Courtesy Miranda “Randi” Densford, bar manager of Barn8 Farm Restaurant & Bourbon Bar

Ingredients:

8 oz Hot coffee
1.5 oz Rittenhouse Rye
2 oz spiced coconut cream
1 oz spiced walnut syrup*

Method:

Combine ingredients in a mug and stir. Serve warm.

*Spiced Walnut Syrup

½ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water
¼ cup brown sugar
1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup toasted walnuts
Pinch of salt

Directions: In a small saucepan, stir to combine the two syrups, water, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 2 minutes. Add toasted walnuts, stirring to combine, and allow to boil for 2 additional minutes. Remove pan from heat. Stir in pinch of salt. Allow to cool slightly, then serve. For longer storage, cool completely, transfer to an airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to a month.

Bourbon Hot Chocolate

Courtesy Katie Tobin, bar manager at New Riff Distilling

Ingredients:

1 oz New Riff Kentucky Straight Bourbon
5 oz Bourbon cream*
1 oz water
5 oz dark chocolate fudge dessert topping
5 oz Luxardo cherry juice
1-2 dashes of cherry bitters
1-2 dashes of Aztec chocolate bitters

Method:
Add all ingredients except the bourbon cream to a mug. Microwave for 1 minute, stir, microwave for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add bourbon cream and garnish with chocolate covered cherries and marshmallows.

*Bourbon Cream: Combine 1-1/2 cups evaporated milk (1-12 ounce can), 1 cup Bourbon, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1⁄2 teaspoon instant coffee a large mason jar. Secure lid on tight and shake until combined. Store in the fridge.

Mulled Bourbon Cider

Ingredients:

1. 5 oz Bourbon
1 oz Tonic syrup
4 oz apple cider
1 cinnamon stick

Method:

Pour cider and tonic into a microwave safe mug and heat until boiling, usually 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the bourbon and stir briefly to combine. Garnish with cinnamon stick.

Photos:

Courtesy