Winter is here! Keep warm this season with these delicious winter cocktail recipes.

For better or for worse, winter has officially arrived. As the temperature dips into the low single digits, you can almost hear the collective grumbles of Aussies across the nation. A collective who are seemingly more naturally suited to balmy conditions. Here at Eat Drink Play, we believe however that it’s time to embrace winter’s chill, starting with these warming winter cocktail recipes. The best part is, you don’t even have to leave the house. Keep your robe and slippers on and don that mixologist cap. That’s all there is to it!

Agostino’s Persimmon Bellini 

1. Build and stir before pouring into a Champagne Flute.
2. Garnish with a Persimmon slice on the rim.

Applewood Distillery’s Coral Gin Fizz

Think this one is a summer drink? Think again, as Applewood Distillery’s Brand Manager Noah Ward explains, “While tiki-style cocktails have us yearning for summer, The Coral Gin Fizz is rich enough to keep you warm through the winter. Swapping out the traditional lemon juice for pineapple – inspired by the Applewood team favourite of a Pina Colada – it’s a great balance of refreshingly fruity and heartwarmingly creamy. Vegans: Swap out the cream for coconut cream for even more tropical vibes!”

Ingredients:

• 60ml Applewood Coral gin
  30ml pineapple juice
  30ml cream
  1 bar spoon of molasses
  3 drops of vanilla extract
  3 drops of wonderfoam
  Soda

Method:

Bankstown Sports Atrium Bar’s Caramilk Martini

The Caramilk Martini is the perfect blend of creamy indulgence to get you feeling the heat this winter. Dazzle your guests with this simple blend!

Ingredients:

• 30ml of Belvedere Vodka
• 15ml of Crème De Cacao
• 15ml of Mozart White Chocolate Liqueur
• 30ml of Monin Caramel Syrup
• 15ml of Monin White Chocolate De Blanc
• 60ml of cream
• A scoop of ice.

Method:

1. Blend ingredients on a high speed until smooth and creamy.
2. Pour into a glass and garnish with fresh whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel sauce and two pieces of Caramilk chocolate.

Banksii’s Burnt Boulevardier

• Equal measures of Ischia Sapori Amaro, Aperol, Bulleit Bourbon, smoked bitters and charred cinnamon.

1. Build in a glass over ice.

Brookie’s Spiked Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 30ml Mac. by Brookie’s
• 15ml Husk Spiced Bam Bam Rum
• 2x Dashes of Orange Bitters
• 4x Teaspoons of Social Alchemy Hot Chocolate Powder
• 150ml Macadamia Milk

Club Parramatta’s Mulled Wine

Served from a crockpot, our Mulled wine is prepared using red wine with a splash of cognac, star of anise, cloves, cinnamon, brown sugar and orange.  Presented with a stick of cinnamon and a slice of dehydrated orange, each sip is as cozy and delicious as it looks – making it the perfect winter warmer.

Ingredients:

• Cab Sav
• A dash of cognac
• Star anise
• Whole cloves
• Brown sugar
• To serve: dehydrated oranges and a cinnamon stick

Method: To make mulled wine, simply combine all your ingredients in a saucepan and give them a quick stir.  Then heat the wine until it reaches a simmer over medium-high heat.  Be sure not to let it bubble, as you don’t want to boil off the alcohol.  Reduce to low, cover the saucepan, and let the wine simmer for at least 15 minutes or up to 3 hours.  Using a strainer, remove and discard the star of anise, cloves, cinnamon and orange.  Give the mulled wine a taste, and stir in additional brown sugar to your liking.  Serve in heatproof glasses and garnish with cinnamon and orange.

Eau de Vie’s Reverse Espresso

Although not a regular on Eau de Vie’s cocktail list, this drink comes courtesy of Danilo Migliorini, Brand Ambassador for Disaronno and bartender at Eau De Vie in Darlinghurst. This cocktail’s ingredients are the perfect combination of flavours for winter as Disaronno if mixed with Tia Maria and coffee will remind you of Christmas cake. Being Italian, Danilo likes to be reminded of Christmas in winter. It is also very easy to make at home!

Ingredients:

• 30ml Disaronno
• 20ml Tia Maria
• 30ml coffee (use cold drip coffee for best results)
• 10ml vodka

Method:

1. Pour all the ingredients into a shaker, add ice and shake for about 10 seconds!
2. Strain into chilli Coupette or Martini glass and squeeze an orange peel onto the soft foam.

Employees Only’s Quivino

Crafted by Employees Only’s bartender Christine Lam, this delicious cocktail recipe is the perfect winter drink.

Ingredients:

• 30ml The Botanist Gin
  30ml Quince Syrup
  30ml Dry red wine
  30ml Lime Juice
  Small pinch of Black pepper

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake until cold.
2. Strain the cocktail into a cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with an edible flower.

• Semi-dry cider 1L
  Grand Marnier 5 shots
  Lemon juice fresh squeezed
  Orange slices 3
  Cinnamon stick 2

1. Cook the cider and cinnamon
2. Let macerated a night
3. Add the rest
4. Bottle it
5. Ready to serve

Method:

1. Add gin and mixer to a rocks glass over ice. 
2. Garnish with a wedge of grapefruit.

Iceberg Dining Room and Bar’s Caffe Paradiso

“An Italian twist on the Classic White Russian Cocktail. Named for Gio Paradiso who first introduced me to adding a nip of Campari to my Coffee.” Matty Opai, Icebergs Dining Room and Bar.

Ingredients:

• 30ml Vittoria Espresso
• 20ml Campari
• 20ml Amaro Montenegro
• 10ml Mr Black Coffee Liqueur
• 30ml Vanilla & Coconut Cream (float)

Method: Build ingredients into a tall glass over ice and enjoy!

INDU’s A Hard Day’s Night Cocktail

Ingredients: 

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, shake vigorously with ice.
2. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with grated Cassia Bark

Koko Black’s Dark Hot Chocolate with Rum and Coconut

It’s creamy, coconutty and a little bit of naughty paired with delicious Australian made chocolate, all warmed up! Perfect to enjoy rugged up this winter.

Cooking Time: 5 to 10 mins
Serves: 5
Difficulty: Beginner

Ingredients:

• 400 mL Coconut Cream
• 200 mL Full Cream Milk
• 220g Koko Black 54% Dark Chocolate Shavings or Dotties
• 100mL Spiced Rum

Method:

• Step 1: Combine coconut cream and milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil
• Step 2: With a whisk, mix in Koko Dark Chocolate and gently return to the boil. Continue stirring.
• Step 3: Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the rum. Pour into your favourite mug and sip slowly, somewhere cosy.
• Step 4: For that extra little indulgence, finish with a sprinkling of Koko Black 54% Dark Chocolate Shavings.

The Kraken Black Spiced Rum’s The Squid Bite

Brought to you by The Kraken Black Spiced Rum, this is the more potent cousin to your average mulled wine. Treat your tastebuds and warm your innards with the following recipe. Simply combine 30ml of The Kraken Black Spiced Rum with 90ml of warm apple cider. Build in a mug (or your chalice of choice) and garnish with a cinnamon stick to serve.

Lyre’s Amaretti Sour 

This is a concoction for those who like things a little sweet and a little sour, but always with a cherry on top. It’s also a tad almondy and egg whitey, which rather throws out the whole sweet and sour analogy. The best bit? When you mix with Lyre’s alcoholic-free spirits you’ll wake up fresh the next day too!

Ingredients:

• 75mL Lyre’s Amaretti
• 15mL lemon juice
• 5mL white sugar syrup (1:1)
• 10mL egg white (vegan egg free alternative: replace with chickpea juice)
• 3 dashes aromatic bitters

Method:

1. Rapid shake with ice, strain, fill the glass with fresh cuber ice.
2. Serve in an old fashioned glass and garnish with a lemon wedge and maraschino cherry.

Martell Blue Swift’s Old Fashioned

Melbourne Cocoa’s Mulled Wine

Nothing says ‘winter’ like a steaming cup of mulled wine. ⁣With winter in full swing, we’ve crafted the perfect recipe to enjoy – Melbourne Cocoa Style.⁣

• 600ml dry red wine⁣
  1 star anise⁣
  1 cinnamon stick⁣
  1/2 orange rind and juice⁣
  3 cloves⁣
  4 cardamom pods⁣
  Squeeze of lemon juice⁣
  4 tsp Melbourne Cocoa Winter Spice Drinking Chocolate⁣

1. Add all ingredients into a large saucepan over low/medium heat. ⁣
2. Let this simmer for a minimum of 20 minutes. Do not allow to over boil.⁣
3. Strain and serve with choice of Melbourne Cocoa garnish, like our drinking chocolate or chocolate blocks.⁣

Misfit’s Dirty Martini

With a rotating roster of delightful cocktails, you’ll be sure to try something new each time you visit. If you want something a little more traditional the team can whip these up in no time.

Ingredients:

• 60ml of Tanqueray or Ketel One Vodka
• 15ml or a good splash of dry vermouth
• 15ml of olive brine
• Skewered olives to garnish
• Ice

MOLO’s Winter Spritz

Ready for a winter-friendly spritz? MOLO’s owner Riccardo Bernabei has you covered, as he explains, “It’s based around Animarena cherries, these are sour cherries from the region of Bologna and Modena, super famous in Italy. The liquor I use is by an artisanal company called L.AB where the cherries are macerated in Montepulciano wine from Abruzzo.

1. The recipe is simple as is everything I do:
2. Fill your favourite glass with ice
3. Add 50mm of L.AB cherry
4. Top up with a very good quality prosecco from the Veneto
5. Garnish with a slice of orange and lemon

And, there you have it, you’ve created the MOLO Winter spritz!”

Nespresso’s Martini 

Smooth, delicious coffee mixed with a punch of vodka, the Nespresso Martini is all you need for a perfect night in!

Ingredients:

• Original: Firenze Arpeggio 40 mL Espresso
• Vertuo: Altissio 40 mL Espresso
• 60 mL quality vodka
• 15 mL quality coffee liqueur
• 5 mL sugar syrup
• 5 large ice cubes

Method:

1. Place ice, vodka, coffee liqueur and sugar syrup into a shaker
2. Extract coffee directly into the shaker as the last ingredient
3. Place lid on the shaker and shake hard for 15 seconds
4. Remove lid and strain into a separate glass, discarding ice cubes
5. Add the liquid ingredients back into the shaker and shake vigorously to aerate the crema
6. Strain into a martini glass
7. Garnish with coffee beans, coffee grind or fruit zest

Top tips!

1. Make sure your Nespresso coffee is the final ingredient to prevent the ice melting
2. The second shake without the ice, known as a dry shake, helps to aerate the cocktail and ensures classic frothy crema on top

NOLA Smokehouse & Bar: Make Rum Great Again

NOLA Smokehouse & Bar have kindly shared with us one of their new winter cocktail recipes. Presenting, Make Rum Great Again.

Ingredients: 

• 30ml Bacardi Carta Oro
• 20ml St James Martinique Rhum Blanc
• 20ml Root beer reduction
• 20ml Lime

Method:

1. Combine ingredients together, shake and strain into a martini glass.
2. Garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel.

Nour Restaurant, Surry Hills:  ‘Alfilfil’

Kings Cross Distillery’s Pear of Kings

KXG Classic Australian Dry Gin makes for a deliciously warming winter long drink. The native Australian myrtle notes of the gin pair perfectly with the cloudy cider and the Poire Williams pear notes coupled with aromatic bay leaves. Double up on this cocktail!

Ingredients:

• 40ml KXD Classic Dry Gin
• 30ml Lillet Blanc (white vermouth)
• 20ml Massenez Poire Williams (pear liqueur)
• 20ml Lemon Juice
• 30ml Homemade bay leaf syrup (made by cooking 2 bay leaves in sugar syrup; sugar syrup is two parts sugar to one part water)
• Top with cloudy pear soda

Method: Add all ingredients to the shaker except cloudy pear soda, add ice and shake vigorously, then strain into a highball glass with ice and top with cloudy pear cider. Garnish with 2 lemon wheels and bay leaf.

Pressman’s Mulled Cider

Sweet with a dash of spice, the Pressman’s Mulled Cider is the perfect way to keep warm and enjoy the winter with friends. Tip: make a batch of the mulled cider in a slow cooker so its on tap for when you want to enjoy a warm and delicious drink.

Ingredients:

• 1 x 6 pack Pressman’s Apple Cider
• 2 x Cinnamon sticks
• 2 x Cloves
• A pinch of nutmeg
• Half of a vanilla pod (cut open)
• ½ Star anise

Method:

1. Pour cider into a pot, bring to the boil and remove immediately.
2. Add spices and allow to mull for 10 minutes.
3. Strain and keep cider warm.
4. Pour into a double-walled glass or mug and enjoy!

*If you like things on the sweeter side add honey or sugar to taste.