1. Hot Whiskey Old Fashioned

This twist on a classic cocktail, created by local bitters company, Easy and Oskey, made Minnesota Monthly editors declare they love winter. That’s a powerfully tasty cocktail! Here”s the recipe for a single drink:

Ingredients:

½ tablespoon brown-sugar syrup

Splash fresh-squeezed orange juice

2 ounces whiskey

½ ounces Cherry Heering

Dash cherry/vanilla bitters

Orange peel garnish

Directions:

1. To make brown-sugar syrup, heat two parts brown sugar and one part water until sugar dissolves.

2. Mix orange juice with brown-sugar syrup in a cup or mug.

3. Add whiskey, Cherry Heering, bitters, and 2 to 3 ounces hot water.

4. Garnish with orange peel.

2.Tom & Jerry

While the Tom & Jerry originated in England, Minnesota has embraced it as its own and the mix for this deliciously rich cocktail flies off the shelf. So the bloggers at Perfect Duluth Day came up with their own. The batter can be frozen or refrigerated for several weeks, so you’ll always be ready to give your guests a tasty Minnesota treat:

Ingredients:

12 eggs, separated

½ teaspoon salt

1 pound butter, room temperature

3 pounds powdered sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground allspice

Batter:

1. Beat egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form (when you
lift your beater straight up the egg whites should form a sharp peak that holds its shape).

2. In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks to soft peaks.

3. Beat the butter and powdered sugar in another bowl until light and fluffy.

4. Mix the egg yolks and vanilla into the butter mixture.

5. Stir in the cloves, allspice and the egg whites; beat until well blended.

How to serve:

1. Put one jigger of dark rum and one jigger of brandy in a coffee cup.

2. Add a heaping tablespoon of batter.

3. Fill the cup with boiling water.

4. Garnish with a little ground nutmeg.

3. Champagne Cocktail

6Smith, an upscale Wayzata eatery, made the standard champagne cocktail festive with a touch of apple brandy, and shared their creation with WCCO. Make it alcohol-free by substituting sparkling cider for the brandy and prosecco. If you want to learn about how to make more 6Smith drinks, attend their craft cocktail class held the first Saturday of every month.

Ingredients:

1 Demerara sugar cube

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 ½ ounces Laird’s apple brandy

1 lemon

Prosecco to top off the drink

Directions:

1. Chill the apple brandy by stirring over ice.

2. Add the sugar cube and bitters to flute glass.

3. Add the apple brandy to the flute.

4. Top with prosecco and garnish with an expressed lemon peel.

4. Mulled Wine

When we want effortless comfort food, we turn to our slow cookers. But did you know they work for cocktails, too? The Minnesota Farm Winery Association gives us an amazing mulled wine recipe that puts your slow cooker to excellent use.

Ingredients:

One bottle (750 mL) of red wine

One peeled and sliced orange

¼ cup of brandy

8-10 cloves

⅓ cup honey or sugar

3 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon fresh or 2 teaspoons ground ginger (allspice can be substituted)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker or large pot.

2. Gently warm the ingredients on low to medium heat (avoid boiling) for 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Stir occasionally to make sure that the honey or sugar has completely dissolved.

4. When the wine is steaming and the ingredients have been well blended, it’s ready to serve. Ladle the mulled wine into mugs.

5. Vanilla Eggnog

No compilation of wintertime drinks would be complete without eggnog. The Midwest Dairy Association was so impressed with this eggnog recipe from Merri Post of Chandler, Minn., that they featured it in their Dairy Good Cookbook.

While the recipe below is booze-free, it’s easy to spike, but is still scrumptious as is.

Ingredients:

3 pasteurized eggs (or ¾ cup pasteurized egg product, like Egg Beaters)

⅓ cup sugar

4 cups low-fat milk

1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

⅛ teaspoon salt

Whole nutmeg, grate

Directions:

1. In a blender, mix eggs and sugar.

2. Add milk, yogurt, vanilla and salt.

3. Blend until frothy.

4. Pour into serving glasses and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

6. Hot Buttered Rum

Let rum, spices and butter bring some heat to frigid winter evenings with this recipe from Minnesota-made cooking icon, Betty Crocker.

Batter:

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 cup whipping (heavy) cream

2 cups powdered sugar

⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Have ready at serving time:

2 tablespoons rum

½ cup boiling water

Ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Beat butter and brown sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in whipping cream and powdered sugar alternately on low speed until smooth.

3. Stir in cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.

4. Use immediately, or spoon into a one-quart freezer container. Cover, label and freeze up to 3 months.

5. For each serving, place rum and 2 tablespoons hot buttered rum batter in mug. Stir in boiling water. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

7. Minnesota Moscow Mule

In her blog, Culinary Hill, Meggan Hill, reveals how her best friends invented this drink after a Minnesota bartender refused to share his recipe. The addition of crystallized ginger, powdered sugar and orange bitters adds subtle sweetness.

Ingredients:

8 ounces Reed’s Extra Ginger Beer

4½ ounces premium vodka

1½ ounce club soda

1 ounce fresh lime juice

¼ teaspoon Angostura Orange Bitters

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Crystallized ginger, lime slices and/or fresh mint, for garnish

Directions:

1. Fill a large cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Pour ginger beer, vodka, club soda, lime juice and orange bitters into the shaker.

2. Gently stir in powdered sugar, being careful not to disrupt the carbonation (do not shake).

3. Strain into two copper mugs or lowball glasses filled with ice.

4. Garnish with a skewer of crystallized ginger, lime slices or fresh mint as desired.

8. Boozy Skinny Hot Chocolate

Who says delicious drinks have to be fattening? We adore the guilt-free indulgence of this recipe created by Minneapolis resident and blogger, Lee Hersch. It’s perfect if you’re watching calories or just want a healthier cocktail.

Ingredients:

2 cups unsweetened almond milk

5 teaspoons high quality cocoa powder

⅛ teaspoon maple syrup (or to taste)

1 ounce amaretto

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and turn heat to medium/high.

2. Using a whisk or spoon, continuously whisk cocoa powder into the almond milk until fully combined.

3. Bring milk to a simmer and take off heat.

4. Serve with nonfat cool whip and a sprinkle of cinnamon.