Here is the biting chill, the snow-clad, landscape and the winter party ahead  to warm up your spirits to socialize and celebrate. Wondering as to what are the different types of winter drinks, which will best serve the season and the occasion? Cocktails, mocktails or hot cocoa drinks all conjure up the vivid hues of festivity especially when the cold blast outside freezes everything indoors.

So gear up to stir or shake or simply whip up a winter drink, which will set you spinning with a fervor, thawing the ‘frozen time’ into buzzing activity.
Hot winter drinks
•    Hot toddy :  One shot of hot water with one lump of sugar dissolved, along with one shot of bourbon whisky and a twist of lemon peel is added to the solution and stirred well, making ready your hot toddy.
•    Vruca Rakia: Two ounce  of plum brandy and water are mixed with one teaspoon of demerara sugar and put in a pan and heated- a topper in the way of hot winter drinks, as it gushes down your system.
•    Hot ‘n’ sweet winter drink : With 2 oz milk, 3/4th oz kahlua coffee liquer, 1 ½ oz dark rum, and 3/4th oz  cream which go into mixing and then heating in a pan., for the drink to set. Transfer it to a glass. At the time of serving, a clove and lemon peel are added. Hot ‘n’ sweet ‘n’ tart a trio of flavors for warm winter drink.

Alcoholic winter drinks
•    Icy cocktail : 1 oz gin, 1 oz marachisno liqueur, juice from a lemon-half, one egg white and ice are given a nice shake and then passed through a strainer in a chilled cocktail glass- Ice for the Ice and Warm for the cold is the icy cocktail.
•    Brown derby :  1 shot of bourbon, ½ shot of grape juice, and 1 teaspoon of honey  are mixed together and stirred well. The mix is then served in cocktail glasses with ice.
•    Tanqueray almond : 1 oz. Tanqueray London Dry gin, ½ oz. almond liqueur, and splash  of bitters over ice are mixed in a snifter, with a splash of sour added and then stirred. The cocktail is then garnished with maraschino cherries at the time of serving.

Non-alcoholic winter drinks
For those who abstain from alcohol and for the children to have their share of indulgence the non-alcoholic drinks gush in the way of :
•    Ginger pear shots : Pears, apple cider, dry white wine, lemon juice,cinnamon stick and salt are heated in a pan till pears become tender. The mixture is put in a blender with honey after cooling. The winter drink is served chilled.
•    Pomegranate punch : 1 cup of pomegranate juice, one cup of sneltzer, ½ of lemon juice, I cup of sprite are mixed thoroughly and served chilled ,garnished with mint leaves and lemon twists..
•    Spicy hot chocolate : 4 cups of hot cocoa with 1% milk, ½ teaspoon of grated nutmeg, ½ teaspoon of chili powder and 4 cinnamon sticks are mixed and given a good stir. This winter drink is for immediate serving.

So when the cold wave hits out menacingly there is no reason to cower under the blast, as some topping winter drinks can help you break the ice and get going in full energy!

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