Cold-Weather Gin Cocktails
Gin is a summer favorite than transitions to cooler seasons with ease
Gin is a perfect warm-weather spirit. Bitter and refreshing, nothing is better than a gin and tonic when you need to cool off on a blistering summer day. But don't move your gin to the back of the liquor cabinet as the temperature drops—it easily transitions to cooler weather. We've collected our favorite cold-weather gin cocktail recipes.
Gin takes wonderfully to winter spices. Our Spiced Pear Collins combines a rich pear puree with a simple syrup infused with rosemary and clove for a woodsy, autumnal drink. Our Sweet Gin Symphony and Conquistador gin and tonic both look to anise for a fall note—garnishing with whole star anise makes for a festive presentation.
Even more warming than a spiced cocktail is a hot spiced cocktail. Our Pearman's Toddy pears gin with cinnamon for a warm cocktail to curl up with in the dark of winter.
For inspiration, it pays to look north. Full of Iceland flavors, the Viking Martini pairs dry Martin Miller's gin with tannic, spruce-flavored Björk liqueur and herbaceous Alpine amaro into a complex, layered drink perfect for a chilly evening.
What better way to warm up in the cold than with fire? The Big Red mixed grapefruit juice and cinnamon-infused syrup with an overproof gin that gets lit ablaze for serving.
Find all of these recipes and more in our collection of cold-weather gin cocktail recipes!
Queen Victoria Tonic
This highball uses a homemade tonic infused with raspberry-flavored orris root and peppery, flowery grains of paradise to complement the specific flavor profile of Bombay Sapphire gin.
Viking Martini
Bottled in the same spot in Iceland, brisk, dry Martin Miller’s Gin and tannic, spruce-flavored Björk liqueur make a great duo, particularly matched with bitters and an herbaceous Alpine amaro in this layered drink meant to evoke northern climes.
Amber Negroni
Replacing the Negroni’s traditional sweet vermouth with Lillet and the Campari with Braulio, an herbal Italian amaro, gives this twist on the classic cocktail a rich amber hue and a pleasingly astringent edge.
The Cheshire Regiment
This spin on the French 75 uses a base of both gin and a raspberry-infused cognac.
Sweet Gin Symphony
This lively gin-based punch captures complex seasonal flavors with layers of citrus, mint, and anise thanks to an absinthe rinse sprayed in each glass. For an added festive touch, garnish with star anise fruit.
The Last Word
Equal parts gin, chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and fresh lime juice, this is an old-fashioned cocktail that feels awfully modern.
Spiced Pear Collins
Pear purée, gin, and rosemary give this autumnal cocktail a crisp, woody sweetness, robust density, and sour, crackling effervescence. Get the recipe for Spiced Pear Collins
Poinsettia Punch
This brightly spiced punch recipe includes gin, lemon juice, cinnamon syrup, and allspice dram.
The Big Red
Grapefruit juice and cinnamon-infused syrup bring bright, spicy balance to the wallop of navy-strength gin, a variety with an extra-high alcohol content. See the recipe for The Big Red »
Martinez
In the 1880s, Old Tom gin, a style with quite a bit more sweetness than London dry, was just beginning to gain popularity in America. This is the drink that put it over the top.
Tante Marie Fizz
Since Whitley Neill gin gets its signature tanginess in part from the fruit of the African baobab tree, this sweet, sour, and spicy apéritif takes its name from a song by Senegal’s legendary Orchestra Baobab. See the recipe for Tante Marie Fizz »
Thandai
Indian thandai, literally translated as ‘something that cools’, is a sweet, creamy milk drink flavored with nuts and mixed with spices such as cardamom, fennel, rose petals, and poppy seeds. On Holi, the Indian festival of colors, the refreshment is traditionally served with the addition of bhaang (a derivative of marijuana). Here we’ve substituted gin instead, which accentuates the nutty, warmly-spiced, floral flavors in thandai perfectly.
Corpse Reviver No. 2
Popularized by the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock, this classic cocktail is part of a succession of “Corpse Revivers” originally devised as a hangover cure. An ice-cold nip of this elixir is refreshing, astringent, and strong enough to perk up the senses. Get the recipe for Corpse Reviver No. 2 »
Nuestra Casa
The classic gin and tonic gets a seasonal twist from a splash of pear and allspice liqueurs.
Pearman's Toddy
Laced with cinnamon, lemon, and Angostura bitters, this gin-based drink is a brisk, warming twist on a toddy. Get the recipe for Pearman’s Toddy »
Keep Reading
Continue to Next Story
