Did you know that Old Fashioned is the name for the style of cocktail and not necessarily the type of liquor in it? This recipe uses dark rum and fall spices to warm your belly.

What You'll Need

• 2 oz dark rum
• 1 oz apple cider
• 1 tsp of a sweetener; brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or sugar cube
• 3 dashes Angostora bitters
• twist of orange peel
• (optional) thin round of apple

Shake or stir the rum, cider, and sugar.

Strain into a lowball glass over ice.

Carefully twist and pinch the orange peel over the glass to release a small amount of oil. Drop the peel in.

Float the apple round on top. Or experiment with other fruits. A few pomegranate kernels, a slice of fig. We once made cocktails with rounds of dried bael fruit, and it was delicious.

Be creative! 🎨

The hot buttered rum is one of the best known and loved winter cocktails. But if you have a splash of milk, you can turn it into something truly exquisite. And if you’ve got coconut cream instead, then you’re in for a real treat.

If not, then be creative or just enjoy the classic.

The handmade spiced butter mix we’ve shared is made with coconut oil for a hint of the exotic.

What You'll Need

• 2 oz dark rum
• 4 oz hot water (or milk to taste)
• 1 heaping tablespoon of spiced butter mix.
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• preferred milk or cream

Mix the rum and hot water.

Stir in the spiced butter mix until fully melted. Add a splash of the milk you prefer. This is exquisite with coconut milk or cream.

Top with a cinnamon stick and star anise. Dust with ground cinnamon if you have it.

This drink isn’t particularly complex. When you’re half frostbitten and just need to come in and warm up, you don’t have time for the frills.

Just give me the goods, and make it strong!

What You'll Need

• 4 oz hot cocoa
• 2 oz Aquavit
• Whipped cream of your preference

Fill your mug about ¾ with hot cocoa. Stir in the aquavit and top with whatever kind of cream you prefer. Shaking up some heavy cream or half & half will work nicely, but use whatever cream you have on hand.

If you do feel extra fancy, garnish with spices, marshmallows, cocoa bits.

Wrap both hands around the mug and breathe in deeply before your first sip.

The classic Old Fashioned is a staple for us, especially this year. A hefty dose of bourbon–whichever has caught our fancy this week–with a touch of sweet and bitters, then topped off with a twist of citrus.

But let’s shake things up for fall, shall we?

This recipe uses brown sugar and apple cider for the sweetness, and then rounds things out with some fall spice.

What You'll Need

• 2 oz apple cider
• 2 oz bourbon
• 1 tsp brown sugar or other sweetener
• 1 cinnamon stick
• dash or two of Angostora bitters
• orange slice
• (optional) slice of apple, persimmon, or other fruit

Muddle the brown sugar and apple juice until fully dissolved. Maple syrup would make an excellent sweetener as well.

Swirl in the bourbon and add 1-2 large ice cubes.

Shake in a dash or two of the bitters.

Top with the cinnamon stick, fruit slices.

Everyone loves a hot buttered rum. This take on it uses bourbon for a bit more warming kick, and the hand made spiced butter mix is made with coconut oil.

This gives you a richer flavor, with just a hint of the tropics we’re looking forward to again.

What You'll Need

• 2 oz bourbon
• 2 oz apple cider
• 1 tbsp spiced butter mix
• 1 cinnamon stick

Gently warm the cider, either by microwaving for 30 seconds at a time or heating in a small saucepan on your stove.

Mix the hot cider and bourbon, then stir in a hefty spoonful of the butter mix. Stir until it fully melts.

Sprinkle ground cinnamon on top if you have it, then drop in a cinnamon stick.

There’s a certain comfort that comes with sipping a hot toddy. The heat relieves that seemingly impenetrable chill in the bones and brings solace when your hands are cold and somehow your feet in their boots are colder. The toddy does not discriminate your choice of liquor. It just does its job and warms you up.

This concoction uses that delightful Scandinavian aquavit to bring out the herbal notes of black tea. If caraway isn’t your thing, you could always use bourbon, brandy, or other liquor bold enough to hold its own.

What You'll Need

• 4 oz hot black tea
• 1 ½ oz Aquavit
• 1 teaspoon honey
• splash of lemon juice, to taste
• 2 sage leaves
• 1 twist orange

Dissolve honey into hot black tea in a heat-tempered glass. Add Aquavit and lemon juice and stir. Carefully twist and pinch the orange peel over the glass to release a small amount of oil.

Garnish with fresh sage leaves and any fall spices that catch your fancy.