COSY COCKTAILS TO WARM YOU UP THIS WINTER
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
When the nights start getting longer, the air is chillier, the food is a little richer, and an icy G&T suddenly feels like it belongs to another season, it’s time to change what’s in your glass.
Winter cocktails don’t need to be complicated. You don’t need a full bar setup, obscure ingredients, or the arm strength of a career bartender. Sometimes the best cold-weather drinks are the simple ones: a good spirit, a clever mixer, a little citrus, a bit of spice, and something that feels like it'll warm you up from the inside.
At Reed & Co. Distillery, we love drinks that are thoughtful without being fussy. These five easy Winter Cocktails are quick to make at home (or you can come in and see us for one!), full of seasonal flavour, and built around some of our favourite spirits and liqueurs: Rice Shochu, Remedy Gin, Chilli Koji and Yuzushu.
Expect citrus, spice, gentle heat and all the good flavours that make cooler evenings feel nice and cosy.
1. Rice Shochu, Grapefruit & Soda
Rice Shochu is one of those spirits that does a lot without making a fuss. It brings a soft, clean character that works beautifully with grapefruit, especially when you want something refreshing but not quite as summery as a classic G&T.
To make it, build Rice Shochu, fresh grapefruit juice and soda over ice. The result is crisp, gently bitter and very easy to settle into before dinner.
This is a lovely winter cocktail for anyone who enjoys lighter drinks, low-fuss serves or something a little different from gin or vodka.
2. Negroni with Remedy Gin
Always a classic, because some things don’t need improving.
Winter is Negroni weather. Bitter, rich, aromatic and just the right amount of serious, it’s the cocktail equivalent of putting on a good coat.
Remedy Gin gives this drink backbone, with enough botanical structure to hold its own against the bitter and sweet elements. Stir it down over ice, strain it into a rocks glass, and take your time with it.
For anyone searching for a gin cocktail that suits cooler weather, this is the one to keep coming back to.
3. Stormy Night with Chilli Koji
A little heat, a little darkness, a very good name.
This is the drink for when you want something with a bit of mood. Chilli Koji brings warmth and savoury depth, while citrus and spice keep things lively. It’s bold without being heavy, and warming without tipping into winter territory.
Serve it over ice, let the chilli do its thing, and enjoy the gentle kick.
It’s also a very good option for people who say they don’t like sweet cocktails. There’s enough spice and structure here to keep things grown-up.
4. Yuzu Sour with NEO Gin & Yuzushu
Yuzu has a way of waking everything up. In this sour, Yuzushu brings citrus and perfume, while gin adds lift and structure. It’s fresh but not thin; zesty but not shouty.
Shake it properly, pour it into a chilled glass, and you’ve got an easy cocktail that feels polished without needing to be precious.
If you’re looking for a citrus cocktail for winter, this is the one that still feels bright while the weather cools down.
5. Yuzu Chuhai
Not every cocktail needs a shaker. Some of the best drinks are the ones you can open, pour over ice and get on with enjoying.
Our Yuzu Chuhai is made for exactly that. It’s bright, citrusy, refreshing and ridiculously easy, which makes it ideal for low-effort entertaining, pre-dinner drinks, or those nights when making a cocktail feels like one task too many.
A good drink does not always need theatre. Sometimes it just needs to be cold, balanced and ready when you are.
Winter cocktails, made simple
The trick with seasonal cocktails is not to make them more complicated. It’s to make them feel right.
Grapefruit brings bitterness. Yuzu brings brightness. Chilli brings warmth. Gin brings structure. Shochu brings something beautifully clean and unexpected. Put them together well, and you’ve got drinks that suit cooler nights, richer food and slower evenings.
Save these autumn cocktail ideas for your next at-home cocktail hour - or, better yet, come in and let us make one for you at Reed & Co. Distillery in Bright.
You’ll find us pouring drinks Tuesday to Saturday from 1pm, with dinner at Koji Bird from Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm.
Reed & Co Distillery: 15 Wills Street, Bright, Victoria
