Four Seasons Book of Cocktails

The fireplace is crackling away and the scent of evergreens and cinnamon wafts through the air. There’s no mistaking it: The holidays are here. The recipes for these hot holiday punches yield about 8 cups each.

Use premium chocolate milk (be it cow’s milk or soy) for this party pleaser.

6½ cups chocolate milk

1½ cups bourbon

3 cinnamon sticks

Chocolate shavings for garnish

Combine milk, bourbon, and cinnamon sticks in a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring often, until the milk begins to steam. Pour into a large heat-proof bowl and top each serving with chocolate shavings.

What could be more traditional?

8 cups hard apple cider

¼ cup Vermont maple syrup

2 cinnamon sticks

1½ teaspoons whole cloves

1½ teaspoons whole allspice berries

1 lemon peel cut into strips

1 orange peel cut into strips

Combine cider and syrup in large saucepan. Place all spices in cheesecloth bag, tie tightly, and add to pan. Heat over medium heat until hot. Discard spice bag. Pour cider into serving bowl and garnish.

Use a full-bodied red wine.

1 orange, sliced

Whole cloves

½ cup sugar

2 cups citrus-flavored herb tea

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 bottle red wine

2 cinnamon sticks

Use orange slices and cloves to make citrus wheels; set wheels aside. Combine sugar, tea, and zest in a large enameled or stainless steel pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add wine, cinnamon, and citrus wheels. Reheat before serving, but do not boil.

Cranberry juice and cider

4 cups cranberry juice

4 cups hard apple cider

¼ cup brown sugar, packed

3 cinnamon sticks

1½ teaspoons whole cloves

1 lemon, thinly sliced, plus extra lemon slices for garnish

Combine juice, cider, sugar, spices, and thinly sliced lemon in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then strain into large heatproof bowl. Serve warm, topping each serving with a lemon slice.

The old-fashioned favorite

4 ounces boiling water

1 teaspoon brown sugar

3 ounces dark rum

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Nutmeg for sprinkling

Citrus wheel for garnish (optional)

Pour boiling water into Irish coffee glass, add sugar, and stir. Add rum and butter and stir until butter is melted. Sprinkle with nutmeg and garnish with citrus wheel, if desired.

A variation on a theme

4 ounces boiling water

4 ounces muscatel wine

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 teaspoons Vermont maple syrup

Nutmeg for sprinkling

Pour boiling water into Irish coffee glass and add muscatel. Add butter and syrup, stir until butter is melted, and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Japan meets Denmark.

4 ounces hot green tea, sweetened to taste

2 ounces Cherry Heering

Pour hot tea into cup, add liqueur, and stir.

Not just for Aunt Bertha

4 ounces hot black tea

1 teaspoon honey

2 ounces gold rum

1 pinch cinnamon

Ginger ale, at room temperature

Pour hot tea into steamed Irish coffee glass, add honey, and stir. Add rum and cinnamon and stir again. Top with ginger ale to taste and stir.

Apples all the way

5 ounces hard apple cider

2 ounces sour apple schnapps

Cinnamon stick for garnish

Heat cider and pour into mug. Add schnapps, stir, and garnish.

On St. Patrick’s Day, try drizzling green crème de menthe on the topping.

4 ounces hot coffee, sweetened to taste

2 ounces Irish whiskey

Whipped cream for topping

Green crème de menthe (optional)

Pour coffee into Irish coffee glass and add whiskey. Stir, top with whipped cream, and drizzle with crème de menthe, if desired.

With a layer of cream

4 ounces hot coffee, sweetened to taste

2 ounces Appleton Estate rum

2 ounces heavy cream

Pour hot coffee into Irish coffee glass. Add rum, stir, and float cream on top.

A WORD FROM THE BARTENDERS

Three things to note about hot drinks:

• Not to tell you anything you don’t know, but you’ll want to hold a hot drink in a tulip glass by the stem, not the bowl.

• Drinks made with hot coffee or tea usually don’t need reheating before serving, but zap any that cool to lukewarm in the microwave for a few seconds.

• For holiday parties, multiply the recipes as needed and serve the drinks in a warm pitcher. And be sure to steam the glasses or cups—which simply means heating them in advance (Steaming Glasses).

A creamy indulgence

6 ounces hot coffee, sweetened to taste

1 ounce Grand Marnier

1 ounce Frangelico

2 drops dark crème de cacao

teaspoon nutmeg

Nutmeg for sprinkling

Pour coffee into steamed snifter, then add remaining liquid ingredients and teaspoon nutmeg. Stir and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Ideal for a frigid night

5 ounces hot lemon herb tea, sweetened to taste

1 ounce limoncello

Lemon wedge for garnish

Pour hot tea into cup and add liqueur. Stir and garnish.

Borders on dessert

4 ounces hot chocolate

2 ounces amaretto

2 ounces almond herb tea

Whipped cream for topping

Pour hot chocolate into Irish coffee glass. Add liqueur and tea, stir, and top with whipped cream.

Cider with mint and cream

6 ounces hard apple cider

1 ounce peppermint schnapps

Whipped cream for topping

Heat apple cider and pour into Irish coffee glass. Add schnapps, stir, and top with whipped cream.

Cider goes peachy.

6 ounces hard apple cider

2 ounces peach schnapps

Peach slice for garnish

Heat cider and pour into mug. Stir in schnapps and garnish.

Peach tea spiked with RinQuinQuin, a white peach aperitif from the south of France

4 ounces hot peach herb tea, sweetened to taste

3 ounces heavy cream, warmed

1 ounce Henri Bardouin RinQuinQuin

Allspice or mace for garnish

Pour tea into Irish coffee glass. Stir in cream and aperitif and sprinkle with spice of choice.

A double whammy for mint lovers

5 ounces hot peppermint herb tea, sweetened to taste

2 ounces peppermint schnapps

Pour hot tea into mug and stir in schnapps.

As you like it

7 ounces hot chocolate

1 ounce rum, whiskey, peppermint schnapps, or Chambord

Whipped cream for topping

Cinnamon for sprinkling

Pour hot chocolate into Irish coffee glass and stir in spirit or liqueur of choice. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.

With Tennessee whiskey

6 ounces hot coffee

2 ounces Jack Daniels Tennessee whiskey

Whipped cream for topping

Pour hot coffee into Irish coffee glass. Stir in whiskey and top with whipped cream.

Earl Grey gets his groove on.

1 ounce Harvey’s Bristol Cream sherry

6 ounces hot Earl Grey tea, sweetened to taste

Pour sherry into tulip glass and top with tea.

Likes marshmallows

4 ounces hot coffee, sweetened to taste

2 ounces B & B

2 ounces heavy cream

Toasted marshmallow for garnish

Pour hot coffee into steamed snifter and stir in liqueur. Float cream on top and garnish.

Hot toddies were once considered medicinal. Hmmm . . .

½ teaspoon superfine sugar

6 ounces boiling water

2 ounces whiskey or gin

Lemon slice for garnish

Nutmeg for sprinkling

Place sugar in bottom of mug, add boiling water, and stir. Add spirit and stir. Add garnish and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Bella!

4 ounces hot coffee

1½ ounces amaretto

½ ounce brandy

2 ounces heavy cream

Pour coffee into steamed Irish coffee glass and stir in liqueur, brandy, and cream.

Cider with spiced rum

6 ounces hard apple cider

2 ounces Captain Morgan rum

Heat apple cider, pour into mug, and stir in rum.