The snow is falling. The rain is pouring. It’s cold!

When winter is upon us, what could be more divine than a hot drink shared with family and friends?

Every winter gathering needs a delicious drink to help warm your guests from the inside out. We’ve pulled together a couple classics and a couple trendy finds to bring you four warm winter drinks that will have your guests sighing with delight.

 

Mulled Apple Cider

Mulled apple cider is a delicious classic to be enjoyed from fall through winter. The best way to make it is in a crockpot. That way you can create that slow-stewed flavor while easily keeping the drink warm for your family. No need to man the stove top all night.

This wonderful recipe found over at Food Misadventures couldn’t be simpler to make. Purchase a gallon of apple cider from your local grocer or farmers market. Then make a bundle of spices wrapped up in a cheesecloth. The spice bundle should include cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. Combine the spice bundle and the apple cider with brown sugar and orange slices in your crockpot and heat on low for four hours.

 

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

The salted caramel trend is here to stay. In fact, this trend has morphed into a mainstay flavor. When you mix salted caramel with hot chocolate, you’ve got pure bliss on your hands.

This salted caramel hot chocolate recipe from Cooking a la Mel will be a hit with kids and adults alike. The best part is that the recipe is for a powdered mix that can easily be made ahead of time for an event or packaged in cute mason jars and given as a gift. The flavor comes from real cooked caramel and salt. Get the recipe here.

 

London Fog with Real Maple Syrup

If you’ve never had a London Fog, you’re in for a treat. The English concoction is a latte of sorts made with Earl Grey tea instead of espresso. The complex flavor comes from using quality tea, dried lavender, maple syrup and cream. It can be made with an espresso machine to get the delicious foam, or you can heat the liquid on the stove top and froth with a small whisk.

To make this recipe from Buttered Side Up caffeine-free and kid-friendly, you can swap your child’s favorite tea for the Earl Grey, or simply leave it out, and they’ll love the warm, maple-flavored milk.

 

Peppermint White Hot Chocolate

For an extra special twist on peppermint hot chocolate, try white chocolate instead. White chocolate is a softer flavor that lets the peppermint do the talking. And when adorned with red and white stripped peppermint candies and whipped cream, it sure looks pretty!

All you need for this recipe from Gimme Some Oven is the milk of your choice (almond, rice, cow’s milk, etc.), vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and white chocolate chips. To make it extra special, serve with marshmallows, whipped cream, and chopped peppermint candy toppings.

 

Sure, sometimes winter can feel like a drag. Cold weather can make you want to hunker in and do nothing. But when you share a warm winter drink with a friend, you remember what this festive season is truly about!