It’s Actually Winter, and We Deserve a (Hot) Drink: Five Cocktails That’ll Warm Your Whistle

It’s been some time since we’ve had a truly cold winter in New York, but here we are, amid an arctic chill as January winds (haha) down. With this kind of deep freeze, you can layer up all you want, but sometimes the cold will seep right into your bones, making even the itchiest, warmest sweater feel a little futile. That’s where hot cocktails come into play. Each sip acts like a glowing ember, working from inside you to drive the cold out. And not only does Lower Manhattan provide a great selection of warming drinks, we’ve also got some very cozy places in which to drink them. Here are five hot cocktails to try this winter:

A classic Irish coffee from an Irish bar 

You can’t talk about warm drinks without mentioning Irish coffee, and you can’t talk about an Irish drink without ending up at the Dead Rabbit. The famed pub at 30 Water St. is the perfect spot to duck into during the dark, cold months, and its warm drinks bring a high art to the classic Irish coffee. It comes with Teeling small-batch Irish whiskey, Andytown coffee, demerara, fresh whipped cream and nutmeg. There’s also a non-alcoholic version that features Seedlip Spice non-alcoholic spirits. 

From the galley 

The Malt House at 9 Maiden Ln. is home to elevated pub fare — and an elevated hot beverage as well. The bar’s Pirate Patch cocktail comes with spiced Bacardi, spiced apple cider, cinnamon and whipped cream, a combo the bar dubs “bold and sweet.” It’s so toasty (and tasty), we bet any pirate sailing the cold, windy seas would give their eye for one. 

Drink a hot cider in (what feels like) a whiskey barrel 

The Dingle Whiskey Bar isn’t just a fun name to say out loud. It’s also a perfect place to thaw out when your lips are frozen. The recently renovated whiskey bar is one of several drinking spots inside Fraunces Tavern, and it’s a particularly cozy one, with dark wood paneling and low ceilings that make you feel like you’re drinking inside a whiskey barrel. Climb in to try the hot apple cider with ginger whiskey; it comes with Misunderstood Ginger Spiced Whiskey, local apple cider, citrus, spices, maple syrup and freshly grated nutmeg. 

Feeling Peck-ish

Peck Slip Social, a recent Seaport addition that’s “by locals, for locals,” hasn’t wasted any time getting into the hot drinks game this winter. The bar has a hot toddy aptly named the Kings Toddy, which combines Kings County Bourbon, orange bitters and housemade chamomile honey syrup and promises a “fragrant embrace with every sip,” according to the bar’s beverage director. 

A proper cocoa 

When the kid inside of you craves hot chocolate on an icy day, but the adult in you needs something stronger, it’s time to seek out a boozy hot chocolate. London & Martin and Co. at 6 Stone St. is the place to look: Its menu offers a boozy hot cocoa made with spiced rum, chocolate liquor, hot chocolate, Bailey’s and whipped cream. 

photo: the King’s Toddy at Peck Slip Social (credit Michael Tulipan/MST Creative PR)