28 Winter Cocktails You Can Make at Home

Winter chill is in the air and the snowflakes are flying. Are you ready for winter? Thankfully, we are here to keep you warm during those cold winter months with delicious cocktails…and, think beyond just warm drinks. Billie Keithley combined seasonal ingredients, home-made syrups and shrubs with our award-winning spirits. Stay warm with these 28 winter cocktails.

FIRST CHAIR

First Chair

2 oz Breckenridge Gin (Buy Now)
1 oz fresh lime juice
¾ oz pine simple syrup*
½ oz egg white
Top with sparkling soda  

Dry shake top 4 ingredients (no ice). Shake again with ice and strain into glass. Top with sparkling soda.

Garnish: pine sprig

*Pine simple syrup: over medium heat, add 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar and ¼ cup rinsed edible pine needles. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let cool, strain, bottle and refrigerate. 

MY GRANDMA’S RECIPE

My Grandma’s Recipe

1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Rum Cask Finish (Buy Now)
1 oz maple, ginger tea simple syrup
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz apple cider
Garnish: apple chip

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain and serve with crushed ice.

*Maple ginger simple syrup: over medium heat, add 1 cup (already steeped) maple ginger tea and 1 cup light brown sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let cool, bottle, and refrigerate.

APRÈS SKI

Après Ski

2 oz Breckenridge PX Sherry Cask Finish (Buy Now)
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
1/4 oz allspice dram*

Stir ingredients with ice. Strain over large cube.

FIREPLACE TIPPLE

Fireplace Tipple

2 oz Breckenridge Bourbon (Buy Now)
1 oz smoked grapefruit shrub*
1 oz grapefruit juice
½ oz lime juice
12 elderberries 

In a shaker tin, muddle elderberries. Add all other ingredients with ice. Shake and strain over ice. 

Garnish: Smoked sage, citrus, elderberries

*Smoked grapefruit shrub. Over low heat, add 1 cup pink grapefruit juice, 6 oz Turbinado sugar and 2 oz honey. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat, let cool and add 1 oz grapefruit balsamic vinegar. Stir to incorporate. Add shrub into a sealable container. Smoke with a Smoking Gun or Cylinder using applewood chips. Seal and refrigerate. 

*Smoking is optional. Smoking guns or cylinders can be found on Amazon. 

TIPSY PENGUIN

Tipsy Penguin

1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Bourbon (Buy Now)
3/4 oz vanilla/maple simple syrup*
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
2 oz unfiltered apple juice
3 dashes Bitter Truth Spiced Chocolate Bitters
Shake top 4 ingredients with ice. Strain and serve over ice.
Top with bitters

Garnish; mint bouquet & pomegranate seeds (chocolate mint if available)

*Vanilla/maple simple syrup: over medium heat add 8 oz water, 4 oz brown sugar, 1 oz vanilla bean paste and 1 oz maple syrup. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let cool and refrigerate.

APRÈS WINTER

Après Winter
*Can be served hot or cold
1-1/2oz Breckenridge Spiced Rum (Buy Now)
4 oz apple cider
1 oz Black currant puree

Heat up cider and puree. Add Breckenridge Spiced Rum and stir.

Garnish: lemon wheel and mint bouquet.

ELEVATION PASSION

Elevation Passion

1 -1/2 oz Breckenridge Vodka (Buy Now)
1 oz Perfect Puree’s El Corazon (passion fruit, blood orange & pomegranate)
Top with sparkling water

Add Top two ingredients to a glass. Add crushed ice and sparkling water. Stir to incorporate.

Garnish: blood oranges & pomegranate seeds

LIQUID DESSERT

Liquid Dessert

1 oz Breckenridge Spiced Rum (Buy Now)
2 oz cream liqueur
1/2 oz Cold Brew coffee

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain and serve up. Top with whip cream.

Garnish: pralines

MOUNTAIN MARTINEZ

Mountain Martinez

1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Gin (Buy Now)
1 oz Antica Carpano Vermouth
1/4 oz cherry liqueur
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice. Strain and serve up.

Garnish: zest of orange peel dropped into cocktail

WINTER ON AN ISLAND

Winter on an Island

1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Spiced Whiskey (Buy Now)
1 oz coconut almond milk
1 oz cream of coconut
1 oz ginger simple syrup*
1 oz pineapple juice
1/2 oz orange juice

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain and serve over ice.

Garnish: edible orange flower

*Ginger simple syrup: over medium heat add 1 cup water, 6 oz sugar and three tbs crushed ginger. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat and cover. Let rest two hours. Strain and refrigerate.

CHANGE IN THE WEATHER

Change in the Weather

1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Bourbon (Buy Now)
1 oz cinnamon, apple, cherry simple syrup *
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
Ginger ale

Shake top three ingredients with ice. Serve over ice ant top with ginger ale.

Garnish: cherries

*Cinnamon/apple/cherry simple syrup. On low heat add 4 cups apple juice and 2 cups frozen tart cherries. Muddle cherries as they thaw. Bring to medium heat and add two cups sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add 10 cinnamon sticks, turn off heat, cover  and let rest two hours. Strain and refrigerate.

NUTS OVER RUM CASK

Passion For Peace

1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Spiced Rum (Buy Now)
2 oz passion fruit juice
3/4 oz brown sugar cinnamon simple syrup*
1/2 oz lime juice

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain over pebble ice.

Garnish: lime wheel and fresh ground cinnamon

*Brown sugar/cinnamon simple syrup: over medium heat add 8 oz water and 8 oz brown sugar. Stir until dissolved. Add 5 cinnamon sticks and let rest.

BRECK WINTER TEA

Breck Winter Tea
*Can be served hot or cold
1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Gin (Buy Now)
2 oz cranberry juice
1/2 oz tea simple syrup*
1/2 oz fresh blood orange juice
1/4 oz fresh lemon juice
2 dashes Fee Brothers Grapefruit Bitters

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain up.

Garnish: blood orange slices

*Tea simple syrup: over medium heat add 8 oz brewed tea and 8 oz sugar. Stir until dissolved. Let cool.

SWEATER WEATHER

Sweater Weather

1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Espresso Vodka (Buy Now)
1 oz Five Farms Irish Cream
1/2 oz Godiva chocolate liqueur
1 oz espresso
1 egg white (optional)
2 dashes orange bitters

Shake all ingredients with ice excluding the egg white. Remove ice. Add egg white and Hawthorne strainer spring. Shake again and strain into a coupe glass.

Garnish: orange zest and dark chocolate shavings

BRECK APRES CIDER

1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Spiced Whiskey (Buy Now)
1/4 oz cider vinegar
1/4 oz honey
1/4 oz lemon juice

Fill with hot cider and stir.

Top with whipped cream & apple chip

Figgy Toddy

1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Spiced Rum (Buy Now)
1/2 oz Colorado honey
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
2 bar spoons fig preserves
Top with hot water

Stir all ingredients

Garnish: lemon zest

BRECKENRIDGE SMASH

2 oz Breckenridge Bourbon (Buy Now)
3/4 oz 365 Turbinado simple syrup
1 orange wheel cut into quarters
1 lemon wheel cut into quarters
4 mint leaves

In a rocks glass, add 4 mint leaves, orange, lemon & Turbinado. Gently muddle. Add half glass crushed ice. Stir to incorporate. Add Breckenridge Bourbon & top with crushed ice.

Garnish: mint bouquet and powdered sugar

*Turbinado simple syrup: over medium heat add 8 oz water and 8 oz Turbinado sugar. Stir until dissolved. Let cool.

FLANNEL PAJAMAS

Flannel Pajamas

1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Pear Vodka (Buy Now)
4 oz unfiltered apple cider
1/2 oz lemon juice
Top with pear cider beer

Shake top 3 ingredients with ice. Strain over ice, top with cider beer

Garnish: apple slices

HORSESHOE “PUNCH” BOWL

Horseshoe “Punch” Bowl

1 bottle Breckenridge Rum Cask Finish (Buy Now)
8 oz Allspice, cardamom, clove syrup*
8 oz lemon juice
2 oz orange juice
1 can ginger beer 

Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl. Stir to incorporate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve over large punch size cube. Garnish Bowl with Orange and lemon slices, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, mint and shaved nutmeg. 

*Allspice syrup. Over medium heat, add 1 cup water, 1 cup Turbinado Sugar, 1 tbsp allspice muddled, 1 tsp cardamom seeds muddled and 3 cloves. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let cool, strain, bottle and refrigerate. 

JUNIPER NUT TART

1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Gin (Buy Now)
1 oz tart cherry juice
1 oz grapefruit juice
1/4 oz Orgeat
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz lime juice

Garnish: mint sprig, lime and a couple of Luxardo cherries

BLOOD ORANGE HARD SODA

OF ALL THE GIN JOINTS

SIERRA VISTA MULE

1-1/2 oz Breckenridge Pear Vodka (Buy Now)
1 oz cranberry juice
1/2 oz Colorado honey simple syrup*
1/4 oz fresh lime juice
2 dashes cranberry bitters
Top with ginger beer

Garnish: lime and cranberries

*Honey simple syrup: over medium heat, add 1 cup water, 1/2 cup honey & 1/2 cup sugar. Stir until dissolved.