Try These 6 Delicious Holiday Cocktails Plus Hot Toddy Recipe

When it’s cold outside, or if you are feeling under the weather, a nice, warm cocktail may do the trick to help you feel better! My family has always relied on a traditional Hot Toddy for illness. (no alcohol for the kids and no honey if under 1). There is just something about warm whiskey, honey and lemon that knocks a cold or flu for a few hours. Now, I’m not talking about getting drunk, here. One cocktail is all you need to soothe your throat and help you relax. Even if you’re not feeling bad, many of us love a good cold weather cocktail during the Holiday get-together’s. I have a delicious Green Tea Toddy recipe and a similar Sparkling Ice Crisp Apple Hot Toddy for you! In fact, I have 7 Holiday Cocktail recipes that you’re sure to love!

These recipes were shared with me, courtesy of Sparkling Ice. I received samples to try out the recipes for myself.

Let me preface this by saying there is no, actual, green tea in this recipe. I know, I know, the name? I questioned it myself and it was explained to me that the flavor is reminiscent of green tea or a LIT without tea in it. Cool huh?

I made this hot toddy recipe for Clay and myself on a particularly chilly night recently, while he was getting a fire going in the fireplace. It hit the spot and warmed us up. I have a few other Holiday cocktail recipes for you, too, but this one is my absolute favorite. It is warm, sweet and has the perfect blend of apple and cinnamon flavor. Not to mention whiskey. Hey, I’m a Kentucky girl. We love our Bourbon and whiskey! I’m also partial to Long Island Iced Teas so this drink was perfect for me!

I’ve actually made this recipe twice. The first time, I altered it some with what I had on hand and the 2nd time I made it per the recipe. It was incredible both ways! The photo, above, shows the altered version and the photo, below shows the original. Both use Sparkling Ice Crisp Apple. It is delicious on it’s own or in a cocktail recipe like this!

This recipe calls for, either, whiskey OR Apple Brandy. I only had apple whiskey on hand that first night so that is what I used the first time. I also altered the recipe in that I didn’t use the allspice, cloves and apple slices. You could add some lemon juice if making this for a cold but with the apple, I liked it better without. You could also use a honey whiskey or plain, your choice. In place of honey, you could use a stevia blend, like I do for Trim Healthy Mama. With that said, we are allowed 1 tsp of my Local Hive Honey, daily, for allergies and health benefits, so I enjoyed mine in this cocktail. Either way, it’s pretty tasty.

For kids, omit the alcohol. The rest of the warmed up ingredients would be a perfect sipper for kids on a cold day or when they are feeling bad. Remember, no honey for kid sunder 1!

Here’s my altered recipe for a Sparkling Ice Crisp Apple Whiskey Hot Toddy, similar to the Green Tea Toddy recipe, below:

Here is the original Green Tea Hot Toddy recipe followed by a few other delicious cocktail recipes below.

Green Tea Toddy

Recipe Credit: Sparkling Ice

1 ½ oz. whisky or apple brandy
1 teaspoon honey
Cinnamon stick, allspice cloves, and apple slices for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Coat the bottom of a glass coffee cup with honey. Add whisky or brandy. Heat Sparkling Ice Crisp Apple in a small sauce pot. Pour hot Crisp Apple Sparkling Ice into glass. Stir to combine ingredients. Garnish with cinnamon stick, allspice cloves, and apple slices.

Sparkling Pumpkin Spice Cocktail

Recipe Credit: Sparkling Ice

INGREDIENTS
2 oz honey whiskey
½ oz lemon juice
1 tbsp pumpkin puree
4 oz Sparkling Ice Crisp Apple
Whipped cream
Pumpkin pie spice

DIRECTIONS
Pour whiskey, lemon juice, and pumpkin puree into a cocktail shaker with the ice and shake.  Strain into a rocks glass and float with Sparkling Ice Crisp Apple. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

Orange Cinnamon Blossom

Recipe Credit: Santa Margherita

INGREDIENTS
1 bottle of Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore DOCG

1/2 lemon
1/2 orange
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup sugar
3 whole cloves
3 whole allspice
2 cinnamon sticks

DIRECTIONS
Rinse lemon and orange and thinly slice them, discarding seeds; quarter the orange slices. Put fruit in a 4- to 5-quart pan. Add honey, sugar (use the smaller amount if you prefer drinks on the tart side, the larger if you want a sweeter flavor), cloves and allspice.  With a knife, cut the cinnamon sticks lengthwise into thinner strips. Add cinnamon and 2 cups water to pan; bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes. Pour Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore DOCG into hot citrus base and heat until steaming, about 8 minutes.  Keep warm over low heat. Ladle into heatproof cups or wineglasses.

Ginger Apple Cooler

INGREDIENTS
2 oz. Crown Royal Regal Apple
1 tsp. Maple Syrup
1 tsp. lemon juice
Brooklyn Crafted Extra Spicy Ginger Beer, to fill
Garnish with Candied Ginger

DIRECTIONS
Combine Whiskey, maple syrup, lemon juice and ice in a cocktail shaker; shake vigorously. Serve topped with ginger beer and garnish with candied ginger.

Elevated Vodka Martini

Recipe Credit: Purity Vodka

INGREDIENTS
3 Parts Purity Vodka
1 Part Spring Water

DIRECTIONS
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and stir until ice cold. Strain into a chilled Martini glass.

Irish Coffee

Recipe Credit: KRUPS

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup espresso
1 tsp. light brown sugar
4 tsp. whisky
4 tsp. heavy cream

DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan, heat the whisky then incorporate the light brown sugar in order to dissolve it. Pour the mixture into a glass and pour the espresso on top. Lightly whisk the cream and arrange it carefully on top of the drink. Tip: the whipped cream can be made with a siphon, but it will be denser and heavier.

I hope you enjoy these Holiday cocktail recipes. Let us know if you give them a try!