The beginning of winter makes it tempting to hibernate in your living room instead of heading out to the bar, especially when it’s completely dark by happy hour. Luckily, bars throughout the city have special drink menus with seasonal flavors and hot mixers to help you warm up inside and out. Trade your cozy couch for a barstool to try these wintry drinks.
Warm up with wintry cocktails at these top Philly bars
Nectar at Library Bar
Head to to the Rittenhouse Hotel for a luxurious treat in cocktail form. The Nectar is a smooth combination of Glenmorangie Nectar d’Or, a fruity aged scotch that gets paired with vanilla, a spiced sugarcane liqueur and egg white. This drink is part of the Library Bar’s trio of seasonal reserve cocktails. Bring a date or colleague to this bar to make a good impression. The Rittenhouse Hotel was voted one of the best hotels in the world by “Condé Nast Traveler” readers in 2019.
210 W Rittenhouse Sq., $24, rittenhousehotel.com
Spiced Gin Sour at Manatawny Still Works
This tasting room has a long list of craft cocktails made with the Pottstown-based distillery’s own spirits. In addition to their tried and true classics, they have seasonal cocktails to help shake things up, including their Spiced Gin Sour. They combine their own Zimbro or Odd Fellows gin, lemon juice, egg white, and a winter spiced syrup. The syrup contains popular mulling spices including cinnamon, star anise and clove.
1603 E Passyunk Ave, $13, manatawnystillworks.com
When Darkness Awaits at Prohibition Taproom
This isn’t your grandad’s Irish coffee. If you aren’t a fan of hot toddies, this boozy pick-me-up packs a flavorful punch with a lot of pep. The coffee cocktail has Tullamore Dew whiskey, cardamom, and a stout syrup.
501 N 13th St., $12, prohibitiontaproom.com
Show Me the Money at Good Dog Bar
With its dark wood interior and two cozy lounges upstairs, the drink list at Good Dog Bar is a welcome sight on a wintry night. Pear and hints of rosemary and clove add a mix of festive flavours to complement the Beefeater gin base in Show Me the Money.
224 S 15th St., $11, gooddogbar.com
Tinsel’s Snowglobe at Tinsel
Nothing says Christmas like this perfectly over-the-top holiday pop up bar opening soon in Center City. Their entire menu is decked out with familiar holiday favorites like cranberry, peppermint and spiked eggnog. They have a few options for drinks served in cups you can take with you. Don’t miss their snowglobe cocktail made with Grey Goose La Vanille vodka, tapioca pearls and white cranberry juice. Try to recreate the cocktail at home in your souvenir glass, or create your own spiked snowglobe.
116 S 12 St., $20, facebook.com/TinselPhilly
The Cathedral Group at The Good King Tavern
This mezcal-based drink combines somewhat unusual ingredients that were inspired by cool weather hikes and warm nights by the fire. Creme de Cacao, banana liqueur and walnut bitters combine complex flavors with a refreshing twist. “I took reference from a classic Manhattan variation for this drink,” said manager and head bartender Patrick Bruning. “The smokiness from the Mezcal brings out campfire flavors alongside the bracing, woodsy earthy notes of the Branca Menta.”
614 S 7th St., $13, thegoodkingtavern.com
P+P at Southgate
This cocktail highlights a staple fall and winter flavor in Japan, Korea and China: the persimmon. To make this cocktail, the Southgate team soaks the fruit in Overholt Rye whiskey to mix with Lillet wine apertif, plum bitters and sweet vermouth. P+P stands for persimmon and plum, or two Philadelphia landmarks: Plays & Players or Pen and Pencil.
1801 Lombard St., $12, southgatephilly.com
