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On Spiced Nogs And Hot Toddies: Vancouver’s Most Warming Winter Cocktails

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by Talia Kleinplatz | With the first snow of the season under our belt (such as it was), very few things appeal more than a warm, winter sipper at the end of a long, cold day. Lucky for us, Vancouver’s better cocktail bars are offering a delicious selection of cocktails that were designed to keep us in good spirits. Here are some of our current favourites for your ranking consideration…

Hot Toddy | West Restaurant, 2881 Granville St. | SOUTH GRANVILLE | www.westrestaurant.com | A perfect marriage of spirit, lemon and allspice, the classic hot toddy is the holiday spirit served in liquid form. West’s skilled bar team tailors them to guest tastes with options for rum, scotch or brandy.

Eggnog | Yew Seafood + Bar, 791 West Georgia St. | DOWNTOWN | www.yewseafood.com | You know it’s the holidays when Yew pulls out the moose mug and starts pouring their famous eggnog. Served with your choice of rum or cognac, this delicious, festive libation brings back fond memories of winters past.

Mele Kaliki-Mocha | CinCin, 1154 Robson St. | DOWNTOWN | www.cincin.net | Never did I think I would be so enamoured with a Malibu-based drink! Leave it to CinCin’s David Wolowydnik to sneak it into this spiked hot chocolate in the most seamless and delicious way with kahlua, creamy hot chocolate, and Bailey’s whipped cream.

Alsatian Mulled Wine | Lobby Lounge, FPR | 1038 Canada Pl. | COAL HARBOUR | lobbyloungerawbar.com | The first time I had mulled wine was a decade ago following a failed attempt at snowboarding. Needless to say it was love at first sip. This hot variation on the winter classic combines black tea, lemon and vanilla with pinot noir.

Bonita Applebum | Royal Dinette, 905 Dunsmuir St. | DOWNTOWN | www.royaldinette.ca | With it’s A Tribe Called Quest reference, this cocktail (pictured) had me at hello. Rum, Cinzano Orancio and five spice apple nectar combine for a beautiful winter riff on a classic cobbler cocktail. Needless to say, it’s got it goin’ on.

Which is your favourite winter cocktail?

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