Recipe: Two Cozy Winter Cocktails

The weather outside is slowly getting to the point where Jack Frost is going to be nipping at our noses, so it's high time to cozy up with a nice cocktail fit for winter. Try these two classics that, while chilled, are the perfect comforting concoctions for Christmastime.

Eggnog

Tracing its ancestry back to 13th century England – when it was known as posset, a hot drink made of milk curdled with ale or wine and flavored with spices, with eggs and figs added later – it became a drink of the aristocracy around the 17th century, with ale and wine swapped out for brandy and sherry.

Eggnog as we know it today – made of eggs, milk, sugar, alcohol, and spices – manifested in the American colonies in the 18th century, thanks to the accessibility of the aforementioned ingredients, with rum becoming the spirit of choice thanks to its importation from the Caribbean.

Today, eggnog is still drunk during festive occasions across the US, especially at Christmas and New Year’s. Use this recipe, adapted from one by the Educated Barfly, for a single serving to give it a try.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz dark rum (a Jamaican rum like Appleton is best)
• 1/2 oz cognac
• 2 oz whole milk
• 1 tbsp super fine sugar
• 1 whole egg (yolk separated from whites)
• Powdered nutmeg

Method:

1. Add the milk and egg white to a cocktail shaker and shake without ice until it becomes frothy, about 30 seconds.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg yolk until well combined.
3. Add the sugar and egg yolk mixture to the cocktail shaker along with the spirits.
4. Shake, without ice, for 20-30 seconds.
5. Add a large piece of ice or two to the shaker, then shake vigorously for 8-10 seconds.
6. Strain into a whiskey glass filled with ice and garnish with powdered nutmeg.

Brandy Alexander

The Brandy Alexander is believed to be a variation of the Alexander cocktail, which originally contained gin* and is attributed to a New York bartender who crafted it around 1910. The drink gained popularity for its fluffy and rich texture, with cognac later swapped in for gin for a more decadent variation. The Brandy Alexander remains in the cocktail canon today thanks to its mention in movies and literature like the Thin Man film series.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz cognac
• 1 oz white crème de cacao**
• 1 oz cream or non-dairy creamer
• Powdered nutmeg

Method:

1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake with ice for 20-30 seconds.
2. Strain into a cocktail or coupe glass.
3. Garnish with powdered nutmeg.

*The classic with gin, while not well-known today, is still worth a try.
**Crème de cacao is a chocolate liqueur that comes in both dark and white varieties. We like the white version as it has a little more depth of flavor. It can also be used in a wide variety of other classic cocktails.

There you have it, two cocktails fit for wintertime. Give these a try today and be sure to try them with other spirits swapped in or out as well!

READ: Drinks to Warm You Up for Beijing's Winter, Pt. 2

Images: Wikimedia Commons