Winter drinks that hug you back.

It may or may not be a rumour that I once mulled red wine in a hotel kettle and I don't regret a thing. It is turning cold, especially in the Southern states of Australia and while we reach for the slippers and the Oodie to keep us warm after a hard day's slog down the mines, we also need to think about the drink. How do we warm ourselves from the inside out?

Mulling wine

THE MULLED RECKONING

You know what’s hot? And we mean literally hot? Mulled wine is having a steamy little renaissance and bars across the country are serving this up with some sense of winter glee. But forget the sachets from the bottle shop bargain bin, we are talking DIY chaos. Start with a good Tassie pinot noir, star anise, a stick of cinnamon fatter than your thumb, a dangerous glug of quality brandy, honey and a quartered orange you found in the crisper and voila.

If you can’t be bothered, you can buy what you need. Poor Toms Hot Gin Punch which is a seasonal gin and spice hybrid that tastes like Charles Dickens in a hot tub. Or grab a Curious Cabinet Mulled wine kit which calls for the addition of a bottle of your favourite red, or that weird rioja someone left after a house party and off you go. Pair with some chunky socks, regret and rewatching The Sopranos.

DARK LAGERS FOR SAD BOYS

Step aside summer IPAs. Dark lager is the middle child of winter beers. You know, moody, misunderstood, and suddenly cool? Check out some we love including Wedgetail Dark Lager from WA.  It is malty, chocolatey and just won Australia’s top beer prize. Deservedly so! Or if you cant go all the way to dark, try Capital Brewing Co. Evil Eye Red IPA. Its darker, richer, and still sharp enough to sass back. Pair with cold hands, a warm glass and a head full of poetry you won’t admit to writing.

SHERRY. YES, SHERRY.

Sherry is back and it's no longer your grandma’s pre bingo lubricant. Look for dry fino or nutty amontillado, and serve it with something salty and smug, or a bag of salt and vinegar chips - this is your winter journey and not mine. Sánchez Romate Fino Perdido is crisp, dry, and makes your cheese plate feel expensive. Or load yourself up with a Seppeltsfield Para Grand Tawny  a local hero with the depth of a tortured novelist. Pour it over a cube of ice and pretend you can afford to own a townhouse in Erskineville.

BUTTERED RUM, BABY

After four of these you might be calling them a rutted bum or you might be calling your GP. Buttered rum is not subtle. It’s not healthy. It’s hot buttered rum, literally melted butter, dark rum, brown sugar, cinnamon, clove, and a just a splash of boiling water that’s more like a mugful. What cholesterol issues? Your arteries won’t thank you. Your soul will.

Go to rum options for this include Dead Man’s Fingers Spiced Rum out of the UK is sweet, spicy, deeply unserious. Or try Sydney's Brix Distillers proper Aussie made dark rum that knows exactly what winter needs. Best enjoyed in a bathrobe, during an existential crisis.

Winter Drinks

LOW ABV, HIGH STYLE

For those playing the long game or doing Dry ish July, winter's mid strength and non alc scene is flourishing. Its all sippable, warm friendly and still complex enough to show off at a dinner party. Top picks include NON #3 Toasted Cinnamon & Yuzu which is like a non-alc mulled wine that owns a record player. Or try Heaps Normal Half Day Hazy for when you want to nurse a beer but still be up early for the gym or a cycle. There's no hangover, all the vibes with mild disappointment optional.

WILD CARDS

These are just weird enough to love and can pass as early winter if need be: Brady’s Lookout Cider Wild Cuvee from Tassie is all about native fermentation, orchard funk, high drama. BuzzBallz are a thing ... a suitably quirky thing. They're round, they're ready, they're 13.5% ABV spheres of chaos and include choices like a Cookie Nookie Chiller which has winter written all over it. The Gospel Whiskey's Solera Rye from Melbourne is all Victorian grown rye with smoke, spice and existential dread.

Hot buttered rum.

Winter is not a season, but a state of drinking. It's wool. It's fire. Its footwear made of dead sheep. It's your one friend who only listens to Nick Cave. This year, drink like someone who’s read Wuthering Heights but also owns a SodaStream.