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The weather is changing, and with it, 2020’s drink menu. In place of summer’s bubbly spritzes and vermouth on ice, we’re mixing up a new batch of cozy hot cocktails that promise to keep us warm all season long—which is a good thing, since we have no plans of taking things indoors.
Whether you’re posting up at some newly erected sidewalk seating in front of your favorite bar, carrying a homemade beverage to a picnic (under a blanket, instead of on one) in the park, or having a socially distanced porch or backyard happy hour with a friend, alfresco drinking is the move this year, even as temperatures start to drop. Armed with the right hot cocktails and the proper vessels to drink them from, you won’t even feel the chill.
Thermos-style
These insulated containers easily hold a few servings of your favorite wintry drink and keep it warm for hours, so for a trip to the park or a rooftop meetup, toting one along is a no-brainer. The Stanley Classic is a classic for a reason, with all the rustic charm of a camping thermos combined with the convenience of a multipurpose lid (it doubles as a cup, we love to see it). Go the rugged route instead with a MiiR bottle from Patagonia that readily hooks onto a bag strap for drinks at the end of a hike. Or stick with the oversized Corkcicle canteen; it’s big enough to fit a whole bottle’s worth of mulled wine.
Durable mugs
So you have a thermos full of hot toddy—now what? These sturdy but still cute mugs are the perfect vessels for doling out your cocktail; they’re built for warm drinks and the outdoors, so you don’t have to be precious with them while you’re away from home. Yeti is a trusted name in insulated drink vessels; its wine glass–shaped double-walled tumbler is perfect for seasonal sipping (it keeps drinks cold, too, so you’ll get use out of it all year). Enamelware mugs are the iconic outdoor cup; the same four-pack you use for coffee while camping can double as happy hour glasses in the yard. And the stainless-steel handled mugs from Real Deal Steel are durable and roomy, holding a full 15 ounces of liquid.
Personal sipper
If you’re not going the big-batch route, you’ll want a smaller lidded tumbler for enjoying your own personal hot cocktail outside. The ideal vessel is insulated for long-lasting heat, comfortable to hold and carry, and easy to tote home without leakage when you’re done. We like the Fellow and W&P travel mugs for their sleek designs and matte color choices, and the Hydro Flask and Ello Campy mugs for a more traditional shape with a handle and easy-sipping lid. The Zojirushi model won our product test for commuter coffee mugs, so it will keep your drink piping hot for hours and definitely stay sealed if you throw it in a tote bag to travel.
