By Apa Agbayani

As temps go down, you can still turn it up with these classic boozy treats.

Let’s be real, winter is a tough time. It’s freezing out. Every part of your body dries up like a prune. The sun sets wayyyyy before the afternoon is technically over. What’s to do on these long, chilly nights?

May we suggest the hot cocktail as a way to brighten up these darker days. Think of these as the perfect digestif. Easy to make a single serving for yourself, or in a large pot for a party.

Best for: fruity 

Spiked salabat

Notes: Spicy and spirit-forward

Best for: When you’re under the weather but still wanna party.

A Pinoy twist on the hot toddy, this spiked salabat takes the beloved throat relief elixir and adds a shot of lambanog (Filipino rice wine) to get you boozed up too. You can sub out the lambanog for whiskey too for a bolder flavor profile.

Ingredients:

¾ cup water
½ thumb ginger, peeled and sliced
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp lemon or calamansi juice
1 shot lambanog (or whiskey)

Recipe:

1. Add water, ginger, honey and lemon juice to a pot and bring to a boil. Stir to combine all ingredients and dissolve the honey.

2. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Strain into a mug and add lambanog. 

Tsokolaté con rum

Notes: Milky but packs a boozy punch.

Best for: The child in you who’s all grown up now.

This one is a no-brainer, a classic hot tablea chocolate like your parents made for you when you were a kid (if they loved you). And if they didn’t, then now you can heal that child (or at least numb the pain) with this boozy treat. The tablea can be made with milk or water, based on what your inner child prefers.

Ingredients:

1 cup water or milk
1 piece tablea de tsokolate
1 shot rum
sugar, to taste

Recipe:

1. Add water or milk to a pot and bring to a boil.

2. Add tablea and mix until dissolved completely.

3. Pour into a mug and add rum.

4. Sweeten with sugar to taste.

Mulled vino

Notes: Full bodied with a touch of citrus

Best for: The sangria-swilling mom in you.

Get this: Sangria but hot! Our take on mulled wine is for the girlies with fridge magnets that say “They whine; I wine.” It gives everything you love about uncorking a nice red and unwinding, but makes it a wintry delight. And because it doesn’t need anything fancy, it’s also a fun way to make use of that so-so bottle someone gave you last Christmas. 

Ingredients:

1 bottle red wine (750ml)
¼ cup brandy
8 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
fruit slices (orange, kalamansi and/or apple)

Recipe:

1. Combine ingredients in a pot and stir. Bring to a low simmer on medium heat.

2. Don’t let it boil! Once it starts steaming up, bring heat down to low.

3. Cover and leave for 30 minutes. 

4. Strain into pitcher. Return fruit slices into the wine (they’ll be soaked in flavor and you can even eat the peel) and dispose of cloves, cinnamon sticks and star anise.   

Irish barako

Notes: Bitter, creamy and spirit-forward

Best for: When you need that power at the midnight hour.

Many an evening have we found ourselves surrounded by friends, having fun, then boom, we’re eepy sleepy. That’s what this drink is for! As a certified caffeine fiend who’s constantly tempted to honk shoo, this scratches an itch for me! Make it black, or sweet and creamy, based on what wakes you up.

Ingredients:

½ cup brewed coffee or espresso
1 shot whiskey
brown sugar, to taste
whipped cream (optional)

1. Warm your serving cup with hot water. Once hot, dispose of water.

2. Add whiskey and sugar to the cup.

3. Pour in coffee and mix.

4. Top with whipped cream if you desire.