Tastemakers Share Their Favorite co*cktail Recipes to Beat the Winter Blues (2024)

"What is it about drinking a co*cktail in a martini glass that makes us feel so glamorous—like Cary Grant and Grace Kelly?" Garten writes in her new cookbook, Modern Comfort Food.

While this co*cktail recipe is perfect for a holiday gathering, it's just as ideal for sipping all winter long. Plus, we could all use the antioxidant boost from the pomegranates this time of year.

Get the recipe here.

Darlington is a wine and spirits expert, journalist, and author of seven books. His Royal Pimm's Cup recipe is featured in Booze and Vinyl: A Spirited Guide to Great Music and Mixed Drinks, a book about the best co*cktail recipes to enjoy while you savor some of the best albums of the last 60 years.

"People probably think of the Pimm's Cup as a summer co*cktail, but it is the ideal oyster pairing, and oysters are tastiest now when the ocean is at its coldest," says Darlington. "I like to play against the winter blues by mixing this vibrant Royal Pimm's Cup garnished with mint, cucumber, and citrus (also in season). A splash of dry sparkling wine makes it a 'royal' Pimm's Cup. It's a pick-me-up in a glass for cold, gray days."

André's Royal Pimm's Cup Recipe

Ingredients:

2 ounces Pimm's #11

1 cucumber slice

1 orange slice

3 ounces dry sparkling wine

Sprig of mint, for garnish

Directions:

Combine Pimm's, cucumber, and orange in a high ball or Collins glass and gently muddle. Top with ice and sparkling wine. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

The Brooklyn-based tastemaker, author, and stylist jazzes up the classic old fashioned with seasonal citrus and a delightful honey-rosemary simple syrup that would make a thoughtful gift for your favorite co*cktail connoisseurs.

Athena's Blood Orange Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

For the Honey-Rosemary Simple Syrup:

1 cup water

1 sprig rosemary

1/2 cup honey

For the co*cktail:

1/2 ounce bourbon

1 ounce blood orange juice

2-3 dashes aromatic bitters

1 tablespoon Honey-Rosemary Simple Syrup

1 oversize ice cube

Directions:

To make the simple syrup: Bring water, rosemary, and honey to a low boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

To make the co*cktail: Place bourbon, blood orange juice, aromatic bitters, and simple syrup in a co*cktail shaker, and shake to gently combine. Pour over ice cube into a classic whiskey glass.

Addison is the mastermind behind Assouline's award-winning co*cktail book co*cktail Chameleon. The renowned designer, producer, and entertainer is an event expert, and his gorgeous co*cktail recipes reflect his design prowess and hosting know-how.

"Should you come across some leftover rosé (or is that an oxymoron?), this is a clever way to carry summer forward into the colder months," writes Addison in co*cktail Chameleon. "Served warm, this spiced co*cktail combines the wine with bourbon, orange juice, cranberries, and the wonderfully warming spices that keep winter at bay. Similar to mulled wine, where the mixture is warmed in a pot over the stove or in a slow cooker, you can simply set it to simmer on low and a few hours later enjoy a warming cup of Winter Rosé Sangria to take the chill off a cold winter’s day."

Mark's Winter Rosé Sangria Recipe (serves 5)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 bottle (750-ml.) rosé

2 ounces bourbon

4 ounces apple cider or unfiltered apple juice

2 ounces fresh orange juice

Zest of 1 orange

2 cloves

1 1/2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped

5 cinnamon sticks and 5 orange wheels, for garnish

Directions:

In the slow cooker, combine all ingredients (except for garnishes) and cook on high, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours. Transfer to a saucepan, and cook on low for 1 hour and stir more frequently. Lower heat to warm and hold until ready to serve. To serve, remove cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, and cloves, then garnish each serving.

"Nothing says winter like cranberry co*cktails," says Wilson. "I combined tart cranberry with spicy, sweet ginger beer for a punch that's easy to double or triple."

Camille's CranGinger Punch Recipe

Ingredients:

2 ounces vodka

2 ounces cranberry juice

2 ounces pineapple juice

1 ounce lime juice

1/2 ounce simple syrup

Ginger beer

Lime wheel (for garnish)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except ginger beer and garnish in a co*cktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Pour into a glass. Top with ginger beer, and garnish with a lime wheel.

Peppler is the James Beard Award–nominated author of Apéritif: co*cktail Hour the French Way based in Paris. The food writer and stylist created this winter libation that's festive enough to serve at a holiday co*cktail party or simply sip through the season as you read your way through a stack of novels.

"As a kid, I was obsessed with the movie Clue. Turns out, there are some things you don't outgrow. This lightly red, lightly sweet, lightly bubbly co*cktail is ideal for end-of-the-year holidays and goes out to the O.G. Lady in Red, Lesley Ann Warren, who would drink it in the study any night of the week."

Rebekah's Miss Scarlet Recipe

Ingredients:

1 ounce red verjus

1 ounce dry, light sherry (such as fino or manzanilla)

¼ ounce rich simple syrup

5 dashes Peychaud’s bitters

Dry Champagne

Directions:

In a shaker filled with ice, combine the verjus, sherry, simple syrup, and bitters. Cover and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled coupe glass, and top with a splash of Champagne.

Ian Palmer is the assistant photo editor at VERANDA and our resident co*cktail expert. He creates a new libation each month for our, and December's pick, Wintering by Katherine May, was accompanied by this decadent and festive co*cktail.

Get the recipe here, and enjoy this rich and cozy co*cktail ASAP.

Riberio is the bar director and educator at Diageo NYC, which is the headquarters for one of the largest spirits and beer producers in the world. He has worked in many iconic establishments over the years, from Paris's Lenôtre to Greenwich, Connecticut's Mediterraneo, creating twists on classic co*cktails, and we adore his extra-cozy take on the Hot Toddy.

Eric's Singleton & Spice Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces 12-year-old The Singleton of Glendullan

4 ounces hot water

1/2 ounce honey

1/4 ounce lemon juice

Lemon wheel spiked with 4 cloves and a cinnamon stick, for garnish

Cinnamon stick and apple slice (optional)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a mug glass, and garnish.

An award-winning bartender on the West Coast, Kate Bolton is the founder of Portland's Silver Julep, where her menu balances sensibility and playfulness.

"This recipe takes elements from a basic hot toddy and elevates them to the next level with a Negroni-like spin that's perfect for colder months," Bolton says. "The maple butter incorporates a sweet yet savory element that plays off the maple undertones from the Russell's Reserve bourbon, while the splash of vanilla extract and clove-studded orange wheel add surprising and exciting finishes.”

Kate's Hot Buttered Boulevardier

Ingredients:

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter

5 tablespoons maple syrup

½ teaspoon salt

1½ ounces Russell's Reserve 10-year-old bourbon

¾ ounce campari

¾ ounce Cinzano 1757 vermouth

1 dash vanilla extract

3 ounces boiling water

11 clover-studded half orange wheel and 1 star anise pod, for garnish

Directions:

To make the maple butter: Using a robot coup or Vitamix, whip first 3 ingredients until smooth.

To make the co*cktail: Place Russell's Reserve, campari, sweet vermouth, maple butter, and vanilla in a glass. Pour boiling water on top, and stir briskly until butter is dissolved and well integrated. Garnish.

Camille Wilson is the blogger behind The co*cktail Snob, which features original recipes, hosting tips, and guides on the best places to get your booze on in New York City.

"Dark spirits are my go-to during the colder months," Wilson says. "But with this drink, I wanted to put a twist on a classic. This is a great way to spice up the traditional old fashioned. Instead of whiskey, I used dark rum. And I swapped out the regular bitters for cocoa bitters."

Camille's Cocoa Rum Old Fashioned Recipe

Ingredients:

2 ounces dark rum

1/4 ounce demerara syrup

3 dashes Angostura Cocoa bitters

Orange peel (for garnish)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except garnish in a glass with ice. Stir to combine. Garnish with an orange peel.

St. Germain's North American Ambassador Earlecia Richelle created this Art Deco–inspired take on the classic co*cktail for celebrations big and small, be it a New Year's Eve party, a cozy Valentine's Day at home, or simply welcoming the weekend.

Get the recipe here.

This namesake co*cktail was written in tandem with VERANDA's November 2020 book club pick, The Man Who Ate Too Much by John Birdsall, that chronicles the life of world-famous epicurean James Beard. And it just so happens to be a delightful choice of drink during those cozy winter months, thanks to some scotch and cranberry.

Get the recipe here.

Fine art photographer Gray Malin is known for his signature slogan "Make everyday a getaway," and his favorite spin on an old fashioned tastes like après-ski at at a beloved mountain resort.

"This cinnamon-rosemary-bourbon old fashioned with homemade simple syrup is a delicate balance of sweet and tangy and makes the perfect libation for those crisp winter happy hours," says Malin. "Honey, rosemary, cinnamon, and orange are just a few of the warm flavors you’ll find in this co*cktail, creating a killer combination with a definite punch of bourbon.”

Get the recipe here.

This fantastical co*cktail will warm you up from the inside out and put a smile on your face when you need it most. Also created by Richelle, this beverage is a fanciful and exotic, keeping you inspired this season.

Get the recipe here.