Hot Cocktails for Winter: Easy Ways to Warm Up Your Favourite Drinks
From Spiked Hot Chocolate to Tea, Coffee, Hot Toddies & Mulled Drinks
There are some drinks we naturally reach for when the temperature drops.
Tea. Coffee. Hot chocolate. A classic hot toddy.
But add the right spirit or liqueur and that familiar winter drink can become something altogether more interesting.
Here on Tamborine Mountain, where winter actually gives us an excuse to light the fire and reach for something warming, we've experimented with plenty of combinations over the years.
The trick isn't simply adding alcohol.
It's choosing flavours that already make sense together.
Here are some of our favourite ways to turn familiar hot drinks into easy winter cocktails at home.
How Much Liqueur Should You Add to a Hot Drink?
Before we get into the combinations, here's a useful place to start:
Try 15–30ml of spirit or liqueur per cup.
Start with less, taste, and add more if you want it.
Hot drinks can amplify aroma, so you may be surprised by how much character a relatively small amount of liqueur brings to tea, coffee or chocolate.
And don't forget temperature. There's no need to boil the spirit itself — make your hot drink first and add your chosen spirit or liqueur afterwards.
Now, choose your cup.
1. Hot Tea Cocktails
Tea might be one of the most versatile hot cocktail bases in the cupboard.
Black tea can stand up to richer spirits and warming spices, while lighter and herbal teas give citrus and botanical flavours more room to appear.
Citrus Brandy + Black Tea
Citrus Brandy brings citrus character to a simple cup of black tea.
Try 15–30ml Citrus Brandy, black tea and a slice of fresh lemon.
For a touch of sweetness, add a little honey.
Chai Liqueur + Chai Tea
Sometimes the obvious combination is obvious for a reason.
Our Chai Liqueur builds on the warming spice already present in chai.
Add a splash to freshly brewed chai and finish with warm milk for a simple after-dinner drink.
Cardamom Herbal Liqueur + Tea
Cardamom Herbal Liqueur is a good one to experiment with if you enjoy aromatic, spiced drinks.
Try it with black tea first, then experiment with different herbal teas to see how the botanicals interact.
2. Spiked Hot Chocolate
If you're going to make hot chocolate in winter, you may as well have some fun with it.
Chocolate works particularly well with flavours it already knows: mint, orange, coffee, caramel and aromatic florals.
Choc Mint Liqueur + Hot Chocolate
Choc Mint Liqueur turns an ordinary hot chocolate into an adults-only choc-mint dessert.
Make your favourite hot chocolate, stir through 15–30ml Choc Mint Liqueur, and finish with whipped cream or grated chocolate if you're feeling particularly committed to the cause.
Jaffa Liqueur + Hot Chocolate
Chocolate and orange rarely need an introduction.
Our Jaffa Liqueur adds that familiar citrus-and-chocolate combination to a steaming mug of hot chocolate.
Try finishing it with a little fresh orange zest.
Turkish Delight Liqueur + Hot Chocolate
For something completely different, Turkish Delight Liqueur takes hot chocolate in a more aromatic, floral direction.
It's richer and more dessert-like — one for drinking slowly.
3. Make a Hot Toddy Your Own
A traditional hot toddy is wonderfully simple: a spirit, hot water, something sweet and usually some citrus.
That simplicity also makes it easy to experiment with.
Ginger & Rhubarb Gin Hot Toddy
Ginger & Rhubarb Gin gives the toddy a different personality, combining gin botanicals with ginger warmth and rhubarb character.
Try it with hot water, fresh lemon and honey.
Citrus Brandy Hot Toddy
For something closer to the traditional brandy direction, use Citrus Brandy.
Add 30ml Citrus Brandy to hot water with fresh lemon and honey, then adjust the balance to taste.
Australian Herbal Liqueur Hot Toddy
Our Australian Herbal Liqueur takes the drink into more aromatic, herbal and bittersweet territory.
Keep the rest simple so the botanical character isn't lost: hot water, lemon and a little honey are all you need.
4. Coffee Cocktails
Coffee already brings bitterness, roasted flavours and aroma to the glass, making it a natural partner for richer spirits and liqueurs.
Butter Whiskey Liqueur + Coffee
Butter Whiskey Liqueur adds a rich, buttery character to freshly brewed coffee.
Try 15–30ml in a cup of black coffee, then add cream or milk if you prefer.
Wattle Toffee Liqueur + Coffee
Wattle Toffee Liqueur is made for anyone who likes their coffee moving firmly towards dessert.
Its toffee and nutty character sits naturally alongside roasted coffee flavours.
Coffee Liqueur + Coffee
Double coffee?
Absolutely.
Coffee Liqueur intensifies the flavour already in the cup while adding sweetness and body.
This is also an easy combination to tailor to your taste: start with a small amount and keep adding until your coffee has crossed the line from afternoon pick-me-up to after-dinner cocktail.
5. Mulled Wine & Hot Cider
Tea, coffee and chocolate aren't your only options.
Mulled Wine
Warm red wine gently with citrus and spices such as cinnamon, cloves and star anise.
A splash of Citrus Brandy can reinforce the citrus notes, while Apricot Brandy takes the drink in a fruitier direction.
Hot Apple Cider
Hot apple cider loves spice.
Try adding Spiced Gold Rum for warmth and spice, or Butter Caramel Liqueur if you want to take the drink towards caramel apple.
Add a cinnamon stick and you're done.
What Makes a Good Hot Cocktail?
You don't need a complicated recipe.
A good hot cocktail usually starts with something you already enjoy drinking and adds a spirit that complements rather than overwhelms it.
Think about the flavours that naturally belong together:
Chocolate + mint
Chocolate + orange
Coffee + toffee
Apple + spice
Tea + citrus
Chai + warming spice
Honey + lemon + botanicals
Once you start thinking in combinations rather than recipes, making hot cocktails becomes considerably easier.
Winter, Tamborine Mountain Style
Winter on Tamborine Mountain gives us a different side of Queensland.
Cool mornings, mist through the Mountain and evenings when sitting somewhere warm with a drink in hand suddenly sounds like an excellent plan.
And you don't need an elaborate cocktail setup to enjoy it.
Put the kettle on. Make the coffee. Warm the cider.
Then choose the bottle that makes sense.
► DISCOVER MORE HOT COCKTAIL IDEAS
► EXPLORE TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN DISTILLERY LIQUEURS
Frequently Asked Questions
What alcohol can you add to hot chocolate?
Chocolate pairs particularly well with flavours such as mint, orange, coffee and caramel. Liqueurs are an easy option because they can add both flavour and sweetness to hot chocolate.
What alcohol goes well with coffee?
Whiskey and coffee liqueurs are classic choices, while toffee, caramel and other rich liqueurs can turn coffee into a more dessert-like drink. Start with around 15–30ml and adjust to your taste.
Can you put gin in a hot toddy?
Yes. Although whiskey and brandy are common choices for a hot toddy, gin can work particularly well when its botanical profile complements lemon, honey and other ingredients in the drink.
How much liqueur should I put in a hot drink?
Around 15–30ml per cup is a useful starting point for many liqueurs. The ideal amount depends on the strength and sweetness of the particular liqueur and the size of your drink, so start with less and adjust to taste.
Should you heat alcohol when making a hot cocktail?
You generally don't need to boil the spirit or liqueur itself. Prepare the hot component of the drink first, then add the alcohol and stir. This also helps preserve more of its aroma and flavour.
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