6 Batch Drink Ideas for a Cozy Cocktail Hour

Ah, December: The winter solstice is upon us, and it feels like it starts to get dark sometime around lunch. Our advice? Don’t fight it. Break out the electric blanket, light the candles and make something nice to drink. 

A big-batch cocktail or mocktail is exactly what you need right now. Keep a jar of martinis in the freezer for when the neighbors pop by; mix up a pitcher of zero-proof pomegranate-rosemary punch for a family happy hour or simmer a classic spiced hot toddy on the stove, where it can double as a warm cocktail and a home fragrance, perfect for a drop-in holiday gathering on a cold, dark day. (Need a single drink or two? Our new cocktail shaker has you covered.)

Here are six cozy, party-ready batch cocktails–some boozy, some not–that you can stir, shake, simmer and ladle using your favorite HexClad gear.

1. Freezer Martinis

Have you ever heard of anything classier or more convenient? Just mix up a big jar of gin, dry vermouth, a bit of water and optional bitters and stash it in your freezer, where it can keep dispensing crisp, fresh martinis until next December. Here’s why it works so well: A great martini should be extremely cold, and martinis are boozy enough to keep in the freezer without getting slushy. (Water freezes; alcohol does not.) A cache of olives, lemon twists or cornichons, and suddenly it’s like you have a fancy cocktail bar in your kitchen. 

2. Ginger Hot Toddy

Quadruple this recipe and keep it bubbling in a pot on the stove for a party with the bourbon set nearby for self-service. It’ll give you a two-fer: A warm ginger-clove-lemon tea (not spiked) and a spiced hot toddy (spiked). There’s almost no prep: Just slice the ginger with a paring knife, add cloves, lemon and honey, and let it bubble. Park a ladle nearby and let everyone help themselves. It’s enough to make you love winter. 

3. Peppery Punch

HexClad’s pepper mills make grinding pepper a delight, and you should absolutely crack it all over the top of this festive, citrusy Champagne punch. Pepper and punch might sound like a strange combination, but the two actually go way back to when punch was invented, likely by employees of the British East India Company in India. The spice trade played a huge role in the British colonization of India, and spices like pepper were prized as luxuries. Peppercorns and nutmeg were used to flavor the concoctions of booze, citrus, sugar and water, and punch—from the Hindi word for “five,” as in five ingredients—was born. You don’t have to know all that to mix up a gorgeous punch, but it might help you win trivia night someday. 

4. Pomegranate Rosemary Punch

This sparkling non-alcoholic punch has all the deep and complex flavor of a boozy one, thanks to tart pomegranate juice that’s infused with cinnamon, rosemary, bay leaf and a dash of vinegar, as well as the addition of  non-alcoholic gin. There are many zero-proof spirits on the market now, and they’re great in cocktails like this one. You’ll need your paring knife to cut strips of orange zest just a little patience to let the aromatics infuse. Then get out your punch bowl (or borrow one from your grandma) and garnish with lots of fragrant rosemary. 

5. Charred Citrus Margarita

Sometimes a pitcher of margaritas is the only cure for what ails you, because it’s the perfect tart, bright reminder of summer. This fun spin on the classic features charred grapefruits, tangerines and oranges, which are in season right now, for smoky complexity. The recipe directs you to grill the citrus, but in cold weather we recommend broiling the fruit instead. (This is a job for your pizza steel, which is safe for temperatures up to 900˚.) Just arrange the citrus halves on the steel and broil for 3 or 4 minutes, until nicely seared. Now all you need to do is juice the citrus and stir it together in a pitcher with Cointreau, tequila, lime juice and a pinch of salt. Rim the glasses with chile-lime salt, such as tajin.

6. Irish Coffee

Classics are classic for a reason. We think the ultimate cold-weather cocktail is probably a steaming mug of sweet, strong coffee and whiskey topped with a cloud of just-whipped cream. To make it for a crowd, quadruple the recipe and keep the mixture of coffee, sugar and whiskey in a carafe or a pot on the stove. When ready to serve, whip some heavy cream to soft peaks using your handy whisk. Feel free to use decaf if that’s the vibe. For a nonalcoholic version, simply omit the whiskey.

Now you're ready to batch and sip your way through the season. Bottoms up!