7 warm drinks and cocktails to cozy up to this fall and winter
Embrace the change of seasons with these comforting, warm drinks — with or without alcohol.
For chef Dionicio Jiménez, autumn tastes like chocolate atole — a sweet Aztec drink made of cacao, masa harina (or corn flour), guava, and spices.
“My mom used to make us atole every morning before school,” said Jiménez, a 2023 James Beard Award nominee for best chef, Mid-Atlantic region. “The smell of cloves, cacao flower, vanilla, and star anise bring back a sense of comfort.”
He hopes to recreate that feeling this season at Cantina la Martina in Kensington, as other restaurants, bars, and cafes around the city begin offering their own fall drinks, too.
Whether you are looking for a fall flavor that brings warm memories, or are simply looking for something new beyond pumpkin spice, here are seven places in Philly serving drinks to cozy you up:
Known by regulars as B&B, Bánh Mì and Bottles brings the flavors of Vietnam to South Philadelphia. Order a District One ($15), a whiskey infused with concentrated artichoke tea and tamarind, honey simple syrup, lime, and tamarind sugar, garnished with an orange twist and tamarind candy.
📍712-14 South St., 📞 215-800-1533, 🌐banhmiandbottles.com, 🕑Monday to Thursday 5-10 p.m., Friday 5-11 p.m., Saturday noon-11 p.m., Sunday noon-10 p.m.
Temperatures are starting to dip but this Rittenhouse restaurant is already planning its annual Yule Lodge pop-up. Details are yet to be released, but one thing is certain: there will be plenty of hot mulled wine. Warm yourself up to the flavors of red wine, brandy, orange, lemon, cinnamon, allspice, and clove for $12, or check out their year-round whiskey-based cocktails for an alternative.
📍2034 Chestnut St., 📞 215-563-6328, 🌐butcherbarphilly.com, 🕑 Monday to Wednesday 4-9 p.m., Friday 4-10 p.m., Saturday 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 11:30 a..m.-8:30 p.m.
Chef-owner Dionicio Jiménez is introducing an atole tasting experience on weekends. You can look forward to warming up to a thick chocolate infusion with four different bases: milk, water, corn, or 100% cacao, for $7 to $8 depending on the flavor. If you feel more like drinking coffee, Cantina la Martina’s seasonal café de olla — a fusion of coffee, sugar cane, anise, cloves, and orange slices boiled in a pot — is $2. The traditional Oaxacan chocolate — ground by Mexican indigenous communities, toasted with sugar, and cooked with cinnamon, clove, and vanilla — costs $3.
📍2800 D St., 📞 267-519-2142, 🌐cantinalamartinapa.com, 🕑 Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.- 10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.- 9 p.m.
A café by day and cocktail bar by night, Char & Stave offers an array of seasonal hot lattes and warm cocktails. For alcohol-free options, the Smoky Maple latte mixes espresso with maple syrup, chicory-pecan bitters, and milk. The Dirty Little 5-Spice incorporates homemade five-spice syrup — made with fennel, ginger, cinnamon, Szechuan peppercorns and cloves, Thai chili bitters, and milk ($7.50). Over 21? Check out the warm cocktail menu for a classic hot toddy, Irish coffee, or hot buttered rum, priced from $11 to $13.
📍8441 Germantown Ave., 🌐charandstave.com, 🕑 Monday to Thursday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday 7 a.m. to midnight., Saturday 8 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Located by the entrance of the Divine Lorraine building, Cicala brings Italian cuisine and warm drinks to Broad Street. Choose between dining indoors or outdoors, but don’t miss out on warming up with a Sicilian caffè al pistachio — a $7 espresso beverage layered with sweetened pistachio cream that’s sure to make you feel toasty. Reservations are highly recommended.
📍699 North Broad St., 📞 267-886-9334, 🌐cicalarestaurant.com, 🕑 Tuesday to Thursday 5-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5-11 p.m., and Sunday 5-9 p.m.
This South Kensington distillery has a warm whiskey concoction to help you cozy up called the Layover. An aesthetic $14 beverage with Kinsey American whiskey, Brothership Irish whiskey, a double shot of espresso, topped with banana-infused whipped cream and nutmeg to warm you from inside out.
📍1431 North Cadwallader St., 📞 267-928-4650, 🌐newlibertydistillery.com, 🕑 Thursday 5-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5-11 p.m., Sunday 2-6 p.m.
As temperatures drop and daylight becomes a luxury, you might start feeling “ish”. One way to lift your mood: The Morris offers a spin on the classic hot toddy. For $11, their Hot Toddy-ish it’s a mix of Christian Drouin calvados, housemade clarified caramel, and chai tea garnished with an orange peel.
📍225 South 8th St., 📞 215-238-2160, 🌐themorrisphilly.com, 🕑 Sunday to Thursday 5-9 p.m., Friday to Saturday 5-10 p.m.