need suggestions for a winter drink

[skywaters]

Okay, so I'm new to cocktail drinking and I need some suggestions for a good winter drink, since my standby gin & tonic doesn't fit with -20 nights. I don't care for anything very sweet, and I still haven't learned to appreciate whiskey after an unfortunate first time experience. I usually stick to Guinness or otherwise warmer and richer beer in the winter, but sometimes you're in the mood for liquor, you know?

Thanks!

[cannedmilkandfruitypebbles]

You're looking for a Brandy Alexander. I do not like cream so i use milk or skim milk in some instances and it makes for a more boozy winter drink. perfect for a cold night and with a nice sprinke of nutmeg on the top, it evokes the season better than any other cocktail out there....at least for me.

[EvergreenDan]

As much as I love cocktails, a nice single malt Scotch neat is just about perfect on a cold last afernoon as the sun has set. That's around 2pm, right? Islay is my preference, especially in winter.

As a cost-cutting measure, Clontarf (regular, not reserve) is also very good neat, and only about $20/bottle.

[JonParker]

2 parts Jim Beam rye, one part Noilly Prat sweet vermouth, and a large dash of Angostura bitters is what I've been drinking the past couple of days.

[davis_sq_pro]

That's called a Manhattan :-)

[JonParker]

It is indeed. But I've been very happy with that particular combination. I've had a growing affection for the Jim Beam rye, which is to my palate spicier than most others. I bought a bottle once when it was the only rye my corner liquor store had in stock, and while I still like Old Overholt, the Beam has its own charms.

[jpc8015]

Hennessey

[alanbarnes]

Consider straight liquor instead of a cocktail. Brandy's the classic, but a good sipping rum is always welcome. Maybe even try a whiskey that's completely different than the kind that was the culprit in your unfortunate experience. Whiskey from Islay bears little resemblance to that from Kentucky.

But when you really want to warm your bones, a hot toddy is the way to go. My recipe is much simpler than the one above. Just put a shot of any brown liquor (Bourbon's my preference, but brandy and dark rum are good, too) in a coffee cup with a squeezed lemon wedge and sugar to taste. Top off with hot water and stir with a cinnamon stick (optional).

[harryharry]

My Aunt gave me the ingredients and recipe as a Christmas present - and I just tried it... it might be a bit sweet, but adjust the lemon juice a bit to control sweet:

I can't even find this recipe online, but it's good!

French Belle:
2 oz Belle de Brillet (pear liquer and cognac)
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/4 oz orange blossom honey
Shake w/ splash of water and cinnamon stick (or garnish w/ cinn. stick!)

[truman]

If you're in the mood for something like a hot toddy, I've been making these for New Year's brunches for the last few years... actually, this assumes you are drinking at home (yours or someone else's) as I doubt most bars stock cider.

Heat together:
1 part cranberry juice
3 parts apple cider
Add tequila and Grand Marnier to taste

I think the original recipe was something like 1/4 C cran juice, 3/4 C cider, 1 shot tequila, and a splash of GM. I tend to pre-mix the juice and cider and keep in warm in the Crock-Pot, then let people spike their own.

[Soybomb]

To be honest guinness has a very undeserved reputation as a rich, full, heavy, etc. I don't know if it the different feel of a nitro gassed beer, psychological effect of a dark beer on people more accustomed to the likes of bud/miller/coors, or just repeated enough to stick. No matter guinness is a relatively light beer with a thin body. It is a dry irish stout afterall. Don't get me wrong, I have a spot for it, it was the first beer I ever found myself liking. It just isn't what many people describe it to be. If you're wanting a stout that is a bit more robust and "wintery" readily available examples includes sam smith's oatmeal stout, young's double chocolate stout, and north coast's old rasputin imperial stout. They're all incredible beers.

Stepping outside of beer I really enjoy rusty nails, manhattans, and once in a while a hot buttered rum this time of year. A little neat brandy and cognac are also popular but not my favorites.

[davis_sq_pro]

How about a nice barley wine? Anchor's Old Foghorn is amazing to sip on a cold winter night...

[barleywino]

davis, where have you found Anchor Foghorn in Boston area? I've had it elsewhere but not in Boston...thanks

[davis_sq_pro]

Haven't bought a bottle this year but last year I bought several at Downtown Liquors in Davis Square. I'm sure any store that carries Anchor products could special order it for you if they don't carry it.

[barleywino]

thanks-- time for a Foggy Night in the Sierras (Anchor Foghorn + Sierra Nevada Bigfoot)

[NE_Elaine]

My favorite winter drink is scotch - straight up, but if I want a cocktail, I will go for a rusty nail. A rusty nail is made with scotch and drambuie.

[barleywino]

if you like Guiness, you would probably enjoy something dark with a hint of bitterness and chocolate, maybe something containing Punt e Mes, such as the 1919 http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/20...

[jerryc123]

Well, I agree with you about seasonality. During the summer, I gravitate towards lighter style beers, like pilsners, and lighter-colored spirits like white rum/cachaca, or vodka.
During the winter, I prefer darker beers like stouts and porters, and darker spirits like dark rum, brandy, and whiskey.

I particularly like Manhattans, and variations, during the winter. Lately, I have been making Manhattans from 3 parts Rittenhouse 100, and 1 part Vya sweet vermouth, and a few dashes of bitters. The rye is somewhat warm and spicy, and the vermouth is over-the-top complex, which I like in the winter.
Though it sounds tropical, I really like a Dark and Stormy in the wintertime, also. 2 parts Gosling's Black Seal rum and 3 parts ginger beer, with a wedge of lime. It sounds tropical, but the rum and ginger spiciness reminds me of winter.

[AllesandroSprezzatura]

Totally agree with a Manhattan as the archtypical winter drink...can you even imagine sipping one on hot summer day? I like the idea of using rye also...good suggestion.

[davis_sq_pro]

I enjoy Manhattans on summer evenings. It's a versatile drink and lightening it up is as easy as tweaking the vermouth. Going from sweet to half-and-half ("perfect") to all dry, or anywhere in-between, you can customize the drink for the weather and your mood. You can also change the bitters from aromatic to orange, grapefruit, etc, to make the drink seem even lighter.

Probably not ever a drink for sipping outside, late afternoon, in the middle of July (and as I type this in late January, I can only wish I had that dilemma), but there is no reason to limit yourself to enjoying them only during the winter months.