Wine Cocktails That Take The Chill Off Winter

You survived Dry January, winter squalls, the bomb cyclone, Nor’easters and lake-effect snowfalls—congratulations! But, it ain’t over yet, so you might as well hunker down with a little comfort. When a mulled wine or a hot toddy won’t do, here are a few winter-y cocktails to get you through the last days of meteorological winter (ending Feb. 28)

Bonne Santé by Gabriel Noble.

The lesser-aged Cognac VS allows the fig and raisin notes to shine alongside the homemade fig purée, while still capturing the Cognac’s grape notes

1.5 oz Cognac VS

1 oz Toasted fig purée*

3/4 oz Lemon

1/4 oz Cointreau

1/4 oz Pedro Ximenez Sherry

Combine all ingredients in mixing glass with ice and stir 30 seconds.

Strain into chilled coupe glass and garnish with a basil leaf.

*Toasted fig purée: Cut 24 black mission figs in half, lay out on a baking sheet and roast at a low temperature (around 250 degrees) for about 30 minutes or until the juices start to be released. Let steep in 16 oz of simple syrup for a minimum of 3 hours. Purée in a blender. Put into squeeze bottle.

La Mort d’un Roi by William Patton

Combined with Byrrh, dry sherry, and cherry cordial, the well-aged VSOP Cognac, with flavor similarities to an XO, is able to shine with notes of roasted bread, butterscotch, and fig while still exhibiting the vibrancy of a VSOP.

1.5 oz Cognac VSOP

3/4 oz Byrrh

1/2 oz Lustau Amontillado

1/4 oz Cherry Cordial*

Combine all ingredients in a stirring vessel, add ice and stir.

Strain into chilled Nick and Nora glass

Garnish with an expressed orange peel.

*Cherry Cordial: Combine 500 grams (17.6 oz) of cherry juice, 300 grams (10.5 0z) white sugar, 2 grams citric acid (trace: .07 oz), and 1 pinch of salt in a blender. Blend on high for 2 minutes until sugar is fully integrated. Let settle, pint and label. Good for one month.

Le Téléphone Arabe by Mark Sassi.

This cocktail pairs Cognac with coffee-infused sherry, Cynar, and equal parts Absinthe, cardamom, and Angostura bitters in order to highlight the Cognac VSOP’s notes of caramel, dark chocolate, and tobacco

2 oz Cognac VS

1/2 oz Coffee-infused Pedro Ximenez Sherry*

1/2 oz Artichoke Amaro (preferably Cynar)

4 dashes Le Téléphone Arabe Bitters**

Combine all ingredients into a chilled mixing glass.

Add Hoshizaki crescent ice cube(s) and stir for ~20 seconds.

Then strain into a chilled 5.5 oz Nick and Nora glass.

Express with fresh lemon zest and garnish with a manicured lemon peel.

*Coffee-infused Pedro Ximenez Sherry: Combine 1 tablespoon of medium roast coffee beans and 12 oz of Pedro Ximenez Sherry in a non-reactive container and allow to sit for 12-24 hours. Stir occasionally. Strain out coffee beans and bottle and refrigerate sherry until use.

**Le Téléphone Arabe Bitters: Combine equal parts Angostura Aromatic Bitters, Scrappy’s Cardamom Bitters and absinthe into a Japanese dasher bottle.

BIN 27 Martini

2 oz Fonseca BIN 27 Ruby Port

1 oz Vodka of Choice

½ oz Cranberry Juice

Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a martini cocktail glass. Garnish with green olives