If you want to make your holiday or winter gathering extra warm and inviting , consider serving up a hot cocktail . The traditional hot toddy calls for whiskey , but you can make a variation of it with any spirit , as well as unique seasonal cocktails served warm and adult takes on classic beverages .

“ One of the reasons warm drinks are so comforting to me is the action of holding the hot mug between my hands ,” says Heather Wibbels , managing director of Bourbon Women and CocktailContessa . com . “ It ’ s almost as if your hands are getting a hug .”

To make and keep the drink as warm as possible , heat the mug prior to adding in the warm cocktail ingredients , Wibbels says . She either adds hot water to a mug and lets it set while making the cocktail in another container , or puts the mug filled with water in the microwave for a minute or two , enough to just heat up the water .

If you ’ re making a batch of hot cocktails , you can build them in a crockpot and let them warm , says Denise Petty , tasting room manager at Catoctin Creek Distilling Co . Just be sure to add the spirit to the crockpot last , so that you don ’ t boil off the alcohol .

And don ’ t heat up acids , such as citrus juice , says Katie Tobin , bar manager of New Riff Distilling . And if you do , use the low and slow technique . “ Lemon , in particular , can get bitter and more intense with heat ,” she says , so add it at the end .

Finally , use quality ingredients and a creative presentation to enhance the experience . The St . Regis Venice hotel in Italy offers the “ Heat Me Up ” winter cocktail , inspired by the classic marriage of rum with chocolate , says Facundo Gallegos , bars and restaurants director of The St . Regis Venice . Made with premium Italian chocolate , it ’ s mixed in a coffee pot and served warm in a signature coffee mug .

Heat Me Up

2 ⁄ 3 oz . Dark rum 1 ¾ oz . Almond milk ½ oz . Almond liqueur ¼ oz . Nardini rhubarb liqueur 1 oz . Home-made Criollo chocolate and ginger syrup

Combine ingredients and heat gently in a saucepan or coffee pot . Serve warm in a coffee or tea mug .

The mixologists at the St . Regis Venice hotel created this recipe .

Warm Hearth , Warm Hands

4 oz . Apple cider 1 ½ oz . Bourbon ½ oz . Maple syrup ½ oz . Lemon juice 16 drops Smoked cinnamon bitters 1 dash Ginger bitters

Combine cider , syrup , lemon juice and bitters in a small saucepan or microwave-safe container and heat up until almost simmering . Add in bourbon , stir to

combine , and pour into warmed mug . Garnish with an apple slice and a cinnamon stick .

Recipe courtesy of Heather Wibbels of Bourbon Women and CocktailContessa . com

Bourbon Hot Chocolate

1 oz . New Riff Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1 ½ oz . Bourbon cream * 1 oz . Water 1 ½ oz . Dark chocolate fudge dessert topping ½ oz . Luxardo cherry juice 1-2 dashes Cherry bitters 1-2 dashes Aztec chocolate bitters

Add all ingredients except the bourbon cream to a mug . Microwave for 1 minute , stir , microwave for up to 1 minute . Add bourbon cream and garnish with chocolate-covered cherries and marshmallows .

* For Bourbon cream : Combine 1 ½ cups evaporated milk , 1 cup bourbon , 2 ⁄ 3 cup sugar , 1 tsp . vanilla extract , ½ tsp . instant coffee in a large mason jar . Shake

until combined . Store in the fridge .

Katie Tobin , bar manager at New Riff Distilling , created this recipe .

Pumpkin Spice Hot Toddy

1 ½ oz . El Bandido Yankee Reposado tequila 1 oz . Pumpkin spice syrup * 1 oz . Fresh lemon juice 2 dashes Orange bitters 8 oz . Boiling water

Combine tequila , pumpkin spice syrup , and lemon juice in a mug . Fill with hot water . Top off with a few dashes of orange bitters . Garnish with cinnamon stick and dried lemon wheel .

* For Pumpkin spice syrup Stir 1 tbsp . pumpkin spice seasoning , 1 cup water and ½ cup light brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved . Simmer until mixture is reduced by about half . Cool and fine strain .

The mixologists at El Bandido Yankee created this recipe .