Hot Drinks By The Pitcher

Just as the holiday-party season kicks into high gear, most of the country is unfortunately plunged into a deep freeze. (Well, that is, unless you reside in sunny Southern California, in which case, we're officially jealous.) So to help you warm up a houseful of guests, we turned to bartenders in frosty locales for hot drink recipes that serve a crowd.

Living in Minneapolis, Nick Kosevich and Ira Koplowitz are no strangers to sub-zero temperatures. Luckily, they're also no strangers to mixology: They're the co-creators of Bittercube Bitters and consult on menus across the Midwest. Their Queen Scheherazade, developed for Milwaukee watering hole The Hamilton, uses a base of rich, sweet chai, along with aged brandy, complex Bénédictine, and a big dose of their own Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters.

The London Toddy (pictured above) from Kevin Martin, bar manager at Boston's beloved Eastern Standard, is a simple concoction, elevated by the addition of a cardamom- and vanilla-spiced syrup. It features gin as well, whose herbal flavors are intensified when it's heated, making it an excellent choice for a toasty libation.

You can fix either of these delicious cocktails in a pitcher and dole out steaming mugs as needed. And then let the thawing commence. Cheers!

Click here for the London Toddy and the Queen Scheherazade cocktail recipes.

This story was originally published at Hot Drinks by the Pitcher. For more stories like this, subscribe to Liquor.com for the best in all things cocktails and spirits.