Warm alcoholic beverages are undoubtedly much older than cold or frozen cocktails. It wasn't until the early 1900's that refrigerators where invented which eventually lead to the availability of ice cubes at any time and place. Long before that people had figured out how to heat a drink!

Grog, one of the oldest drinks in this genre, was consumed for it healing abilities for a long time. The whiplash, rum with boiling water, is said to be fever represent, especially if one would add medicinal herbs to the grog.

Warm cocktails are first, and foremost, strengthening, which is shown in the basic ingredients.

There are different kinds:

• Coffee combines well with liqueurs and brandy. The choice in coffee (arabica, tasty, fragrant and aromatic, or robusta, which is more powerful) depends on one's personal taste, but it is best to use a strong coffee, so the taste won't get lost when it's mixed. Freshly brewed coffee also tastes the best in warm cocktails;
• Tea should be black and strong (from Ceylon or India). Don't use any light teas (jasmine, darjeeling), because they won't penetrate;
• Herbal Teas can be a interesting base to new tastes;
• brandies, like rum, but also cognac, whisky etc. get a much stronger taste and scent if they are heated. Make certain not to boil them, because all of those wonderful flavors and aroma's will be lost;
• Wines, especially port, is extremely well suited for warm cocktails.

With only a few herbs (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom) the taste will be increased tremendously. After the example of Irish Coffee, originally a strengthening remedy which is more and more consumed as a dessert, other warm cocktails are considered more of a delicacy rather than medicinal drinks.

One can add all kinds of liqueurs, like mint, and cream, so we expect many new creations to appear in the near future.

Warm cocktail recipes