When I was a kid, I used to play outside for hours in the winter.

My brother and I would go outside covered from head to toe, and we would throw snowballs and make snow forts and go sledding at the nearby park. We’d come back home exhausted, with runny noses and icy fingers. We would take off all of our snow gear and head to the kitchen table, where a delicious treat was predictably waiting for us: 

Hot chocolate. 

I always loved coming home to my mom’s hot chocolate. The sweet drink would warm me from the inside out. It was such a comforting thing to drink after a long day in the snow. 

I never did outgrow that love for warm drinks, but I’ve now had some fun experimenting with different drinks for different occasions.

Today, I wanted to share what I think are the best winter beverages, along with a few interesting ones that I hope to try this winter. Half of them are alcoholic while the other half are child-friendly, so you will be sure to find something here that catches your fancy. Try them out on your next winter morning routine or evening wind-down. You could even do your own Fika with one of these delicious drinks, or make a larger quantity to share with friends and family!

Non-Alcoholic Warm Winter Drinks

Classic Hot Chocolate

I can’t skip the most obvious beverage. A classic hot chocolate beverage is always a good go-to if you’re looking for comfort. I sometimes like to add a shot of peppermint in mine, and other times I like to have some fun making the whipped cream on top look fancy by adding marshmallows, pretzels, and other fun treats. Either way, you can’t go wrong with a simple cup of hot cocoa. 

Mexican Hot Chocolate  

If you want a little spicy twist to your classic hot chocolate, look no further! This delicious drink just requires a dash of cayenne pepper to add a bit of a kick to the traditionally sweet treat. If you like spice in your chocolate, then this is a great choice for you! I especially love it on those days when my throat is starting to get a little itch. The burn feels especially good on those days. 

Butterbeer 

If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, then this warm drink is a must for your list of things to try. I first tried butterbeer while visiting Universal Studios in Japan. It was really funny to watch people trying it there because things that sweet are not normal in Japanese meals. A lot of people would take a sip and cringe at how sweet it was. But I, for one, thought it was delicious! And it’s surprisingly easy to make!

Winter Tea

Any tea, really, but there are certain teas that I really love in the winter. I opt for teas that involve star anise, cinnamon, peppermint, chocolate, or ginger as the primary ingredient. It gives it a nice taste of Christmas. Plus, chai teas and ginger teas have some great health benefits in the winter! 

Apple Oat Flat White Latte

Okay, I’m going to burst your bubble right now and tell you that I have not yet found a recipe that can replicate this drink at home, but I have a good alternative for you.

I discovered this specific drink at Starbucks this past fall, and I am absolutely in love! It tastes like apple porridge in a cup. I would highly recommend it if you find yourself wanting to try something new on the menu.

However, this discovery also led me to realize how delicious oat milk is! So instead of this particular recipe (which is extremely hard to make), I will share a recipe I found for a spiced oat milk latte. It’s much easier and very winter-appropriate. It won’t be long before warm oat milk becomes one of the best winter beverages in your books, too! 

Gingerbread Latte

As we’re approaching Christmas, there’s no way I could leave out gingerbread! As we move out of fall and into winter, it’s time to swap out the pumpkin spice for gingerbread. I tried a recipe for gingerbread latte last year at home and loved it! I found it odd at first to use molasses in my coffee, but it turned out very nicely! It is a delicious drink for the winter season!

Cranberry Apple Cider

This is a great recipe to make in the slow cooker to serve lots of people. Not only will everyone love it, but the simmering spices will make your whole house smell heavenly! This cranberry apple cider is a great winter drink for big events. 

Vanilla Steamer

When I was in high school, I discovered frothed milk when I had my first London Fog at Second Cup. I loved it so much that I went home determined to learn how to froth my own milk. When I finally figured it out, I went nuts on London Fogs and Steamers.

A Steamer is simply milk warmed up and frothed. A vanilla steamer just adds a shot of vanilla to sweeten the drink a little. You can also add honey if you like. This was my go-to bedtime drink for quite a while, and now I feel I must include it in my list of the best winter beverages. 

Spiced Sweet Potato Turmeric Milk  

I haven’t tried this unique recipe yet, but it’s on my list of drinks I plan to try this year. I love warm turmeric milk, so I figured adding some sweet potato would make for a nice hearty version of an already delicious drink.

Fair warning, Turmeric stains things very easily, so if you don’t want your wooden spoons stained yellow, I’d recommend using different materials that are not so porous. 

Alcoholic Winter Drinks

Something I’ve always loved about alcohol in the winter is that it warms up your body almost right away. If you caught a real chill that day, sometimes adding a little bit of alcohol can do the trick to chase that chill away. I’ve got some recipes here that are great alcoholic options. If you don’t want the alcohol, most of these drinks taste good without it, too! 

Mulled Wine

I first tried mulled wine while I was in Ecuador. Though it doesn’t get snowy and cold there, they do have some chillier rainy days. On those days, it is common to grab a mulled wine to warm yourself up. I’ve been a huge fan of the drink ever since! 

Chai Tea with Bourbon

Chai tea is already so delicious, but topping it off with a little bit of bourbon just makes it that much better! This recipe makes the chai tea manually, but if you wanted to make it easier, you could just buy chai tea ready-made and use that. 

Hot Chocolate with Kahlua

My husband and I tried this recipe last winter, and we got hooked on it! It is another nice twist on the traditional hot chocolate. For any Canadians out there, Kahlua and Baileys also taste really good in a Tim Horton’s ice capp- just in case you feel like trying it out! 

Wassail

I’ll be honest, I first tried this recipe simply because the name is so fun! I’m already a big fan of hot apple cider, so this was an easy transition for me. If you like apple cider, you’ll be sure to like this warm winter drink. 

Hot Spiked Apple Cider with Ginger

This is another apple cider drink, but with a few differences. The addition that I like is the ginger. I love any winter drink that has ginger because it has that added medicinal benefit. This particular recipe is a slow cooker recipe, and you can also make it without the rum to make it family-friendly! 

Hot Toddy

With simple ingredients and very few steps, the hot toddy is a great drink to have on a cold day. I love that it’s not overly sweet so you can enjoy it even when you don’t have a craving for sugary drinks. 

Rum Punch

This hot beverage is likely one I will try in a bar rather than make at home, simply because it requires multiple alcohols that I really won’t use for any other occasion. However, it looks delicious! 

Buttered Rum

This buttered rum recipe is one I plan to try this winter. Really, anything with ‘butter’ in the name is something I’ll be sure to love! 

Conclusion 

Life can be really enjoyable when you take the time to enjoy the special things that each wonderful season has to offer, and warm winter drinks are one of those special things!

If you want to really get into the coziness of the winter season, you should definitely try some of these delicious drinks. Once you’ve experimented with a few, come up with your own list of the best winter beverages.

What About You? 

What beverages do you like to have in the wintertime? Are there any you would want to add or remove from this list? Tell me about it in the comments section- I’d love to hear from you!