5 Warm, Boozy Cocktails You Can Put In Your Thermos

by Erika Haugen-Goodman

So you've decided to spend your winter morning hiking instead of at the local brunch spot. But now the question is how you're going to keep both cold temps at bay and satisfy your desire to enjoy a boozy brunch cocktail. Look no further, because we've got you covered. These 5 warm beverages are the perfect companion for your mid-morning winter hikes and might even make you forget that your toes are frozen.

And speaking of companions, if you're feeling generous, you can also make enough for two (or more) and share it with a friend or loved one on a fancy brunch hike. Think of all the warm fuzzy feelings you'll get (both in your stomach and your heart). 

Pair your beverage with a cute mug to take it to the next level. Photo by trip reporter Jen80.

The Thermos Hot Toddy

The hot toddy is perhaps the perfect winter drink. It's got a bit of zest to it, a bit of bite to it, and a throat-soothing flavor that's enjoyable on brisk mornings.

Ingredients: Hot water, shot of whiskey, honey to taste, lemon to taste, one lemon round and an optional cinnamon stick to make it look extra.

Peppermint Hot Cocoa

This one is pretty straightforward. Mix your favorite hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps and you have a great combo made for a thermos. Careful though, the peppermint and hot cocoa combo masks the alcohol a little too well, so mix a measured amount in to avoid overdoing it. A shot is usually perfect. But then again I'm not your mom so mix it how you want.

Ingredients: Hot cocoa (made with milk, milk substitute or water), peppermint schnapps, whipped cream if you're feeling extra.

Spiked Coffee

This recipe follows the same formula as the hot cocoa recipe above. Make coffee how you'd like, then spike it with a bit of your favorite alcohol. The common options are Irish cream liqueur or Kahlua, but if you want to get all fancy you can try mixing those with whiskey and other spiced liquors.

Ingredients: Hot coffee, your choice of paired liquor, whipped cream to make it extra.

• WRITE A TRIP REPORT
• When you get back to the trailhead or home make sure to write a trip report and tell us about your brunch hike and what drink you made. Trip reports are a great way to help the hiking community by providing current trail conditions (and the best drink recommendations of course).
  

Hot Buttered Rum (or Bourbon)

I'll be honest, I've never made this one myself because it sounds like a lot more work to make than just mixing hot chocolate with liquor. And, I'm too groggy in the morning to figure out how to tie my hiking boots let alone handle boiling liquids, so this recipe clearly wasn't made for me. But if you're a morning person with a mixologist soul, this might be the brunch drink for your next hike.

Ingredients: I was going to type them all out but boy howdy it's a lot easier for me to just link it. Good luck.

Thermos Mulled Wine

At this point you can probably tell I've had a thermos-full of my favorite drink (hint, it's the hot cocoa one) but I have one more recipe for you. Mulled wine. You either love it or hate it, but hopefully you love it because I'm giving you a recipe for it. And you should also know this takes a bit of time to develop the flavors on it. If you're racing out the door to get to the trailhead this is going to set you back about an hour at minimum, and by then it won't be as cold out and the drinks won't taste as good. Trust me, I know, I'm an expert. 

Ingredients: Bottle of red wine, bottle of apple cider, star anise (4), cinnamon sticks (a few), whole cloves (4).

Mix the ingredients and let it simmer for a while. That's it!

More winter warming drinks

There you have it. Five boozy beverages to enjoy on your next hike. It should also go without saying that these are best enjoyed responsibly, and certainly not on the way to or from the trailhead.

Looking for other hot drinks to put in your thermos? Start with these recipes from our backcountry kitchen.

Enjoy!