10 Boozy & Warming Winter Cocktails

A more refined version of mulled cider, this punch also calls for an off-dry white wine and fresh cranberries. The cider is quickly steeped in spices -- cloves, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg -- before you add the wine and cranberries, which give the punch a light rosy hue. Cordelia's concoction goes down easy, so sip slowly if you can restrain yourself!

This is refreshing, balanced toddy that won't make you feel as if you've been hit over the head with the booze. It turns out that bourbon and citrus are a great match, and just a hint of honey smoothes out any rough edges

There was a time -- when turtle soup was a luxury dish and whiskey was an acceptable morning pick-me-up -- when garnishing an icy-cold drink with dollop of meringue seemed perfectly normal. And why not? The meringue floats on the surface like a regal, mysterious iceberg. As you mix it in, the sugar and whites add a touch of cream to what's otherwise a traditional sweet, boozy punch. Although this one does not, many Roman punch recipes instruct you to freeze the mixture before serving, presumably so it gets nice and slushy before receiving its meringue cap. Roman punch was served as an intermezzo at society parties and at the White House during Rutherford B. Hayes's presidency. Hayes and his wife, who was known as "Lemonade Lucy," were temperance advocates, and to get around their strictures -- the rumor was -- someone in the kitchen devised the spiked sorbet, which was served to guests. By 1922, the drink was declared passé by Emily Post. This recipe comes from The Essential New York Times Cookbook, and appeared in the Times in 1879.

When the stress of the holidays has you joking about putting a gun to your head, STOP, take a deep breath, and reach for a different kind of Bulleit, a kinder and gentler kind of Bulleit. Just a few sips of this "Crimson Bulleit Punch", and you'll be channeling Burl Ives as you sing out a round of "Holly Jolly Christmas". Really, I'm not kidding.This elixir has everything I look for in a holiday punch, a delicious ruby red color, the effervescence of champagne, a hint of ginger spice, and enough sweetness (but not too much) to coax this rather potent punch down with ease.I've written the recipe in "parts" equivalents, so that you can easily make it by the punch bowl, or cocktail shaker quantities. If served in a punch bowl, I'd recommend making an ice ring to keep it chilled, in which you could freeze fresh cranberries and pomegranate arils.Cheers!

I'm a lightweight when it comes to booze, and I'll be the first to admit that my interpretation of a "hot toddy" is a little loose. My husband loves Glühwein (German/Austrian mulled wine), but he prefers drinking white wine to red, so for this contest I decided to experiment with a white mulled wine, amped up with pear brandy. I infused the wine with cardamom and star anise, which I thought would go nicely with the white wine, as well as the more traditional triumvirate of cinnamon, ginger and cloves. To amplify the pear flavor, I added a slice of Asian pear to each drink as a garnish -- the pear softens slightly as it absorbs the warm booze and makes for a yummy treat once you've sipped the last of the wine.

This wickedly good dirty martini...has more vermouth than you might expect but goes down smooth and strong, just how we like 'em.

Glogg is essentially mulled wine and this is such a well-thought out version. TasteFood adds Port and Cointreau, which enrich the red wine and soften its coarse edges, and the orange and spices, simmered into the alcohol, give the punch depth without exhausting you with too many aromas. Drink this soon after making, as it doesn't reheat well. But we doubt it will last that long anyhow. Cheers!

Usually when you drink a Manhattan, all the warmth comes from the hit of booze, but here a nutty and bitter IPA gives the drink depth and a warming feeling throughout. Collin uses the beer to replace the classic bitters and in doing so gives the drink a little fizz, a little life we think. Drink it cold as can be -- if you're up to it, chill the rye and vermouth before assembling.

This is a classic hot toddy (1 part dark spirit to 3 parts boiling water, sweetened) with a few tweaks. I used rye instead of the typical bourbon or whiskey, raw sugar instead of white, and I slipped in a few dried cherries and some lime zest to scent the drink. It's a revitalizing antidote post-snow-shoveling, or post-holiday-anything. By the time you reach the bottom of the mug, the cherries are plumped up and boozy. Drink and treat in one -- cheers!

I like more pineapple than coconut in my pina coladas, so I thought I'd add some fresh pineapple as well as pineapple juice. And after a few experiments, I found that a combination of coconut milk and cream of coconut produced the right blend of sweetness and creaminess. A spritz of lime juice and a grating of fresh nutmeg were later additions.