It doesn't really feel like winter has arrived in Dallas just yet, which may be seriously cramping your holiday style. It's barely been sweater weather, much less a winter wonderland this year, and maybe that's leaving you feeling a little Grinchy.
The best remedy for Scrooge-like behavior is, of course, a winter-inspired cocktail. From kitschy takes on classic faves to more sophisticated sips, these nine establishments will whet your whistle with a little holiday cheer until Christmas arrives.
Black Swan Saloon barman Gabe Sanchez is always creative, but that seems to be especially true during the holidays. Sanchez’s cinnamon candy-infused whiskey is infinitely better than Fireball, and makes the best hot toddy you’ll come across this year. As always at Black Swan, it’s best to let Sanchez’s constantly rotating arsenal of housemade ingredients guide your cocktail adventure during the holidays.
At Double Wide, the holiday cocktails run hot and cold. Here, you can order up a slushy mug of frozen egg nog, or warm up with a Thin Mint, the bar’s traditional Yoohoo Yeehaw! cocktail kicked up a notch with a shot of Rumplemintz and served warm. Traditional hot toddies and hot buttered rum are also on offer.
Even the margarita deserves a holiday twist, and at Gemma, that means introducing fragrant seasonal produce. The persimmon margarita is a seasonally-appropriate take on the classic Dallas fave, and a chile-infused salted rim will warm you right up, even if this cocktail is decidedly icy.
Indulge your inner child at the bar at Henry’s Majestic, where barman Alex Fletcher has created a s’mores cocktail that would make any seven year old jealous. In the Less Is S'more, Fletcher’s housemade chocolate toffee infused Irish whiskey is mixed with graham cracker cordial and coffee, then topped off with a generous scoop of brûléed marshmallow whip to create a cocktail that is also practically a dessert.
The weather has been nice enough to sit on HG Sply Co’s excellent patio for most of this winter. Even as the temperatures start to drop, you can still get in plenty of patio time at HG Sply Co with a hot mug of spicy and citrusy mulled wine.
The winter cocktails at this basement lounge are a little more refined than your average candy cane martini, but they’re equally evocative of seasonal flavors. Ace bar man Chad Solomon’s house-distilled alpine essences give cocktails like the Pinetop Perker, a wintry take on a traditional egg sour, an “aromatic garnish” that will remind you of standing in the middle of the forest at a ski resort. It’s decidedly more delicious than one might think.
If there’s anyone in Dallas that can make a stranger feel like family, it’s Chef Blythe Beck. The welcoming atmosphere at Pink Magnolia, Beck’s Bishop Arts celebration of all things booze, butter, and bacon, is the perfect place to unwind with a mug of hot buttered rum. Topped off with a big dollop of clove cream, this buttery cocktail probably has more calories than most dinners, and is so worth each and every one.
This winter hasn’t been particularly cold just yet, which means that Proof + Pantry is still serving up chilled cocktails with a seasonally-appropriate twist. The Witch Hanger, a riff on a traditional Harvey Wallbanger, is mixed with vodka and spicy Strega liqueur for a sip that tastes decidedly different than this basic OJ-and-vodka drink. Also new to Proof + Pantry this winter is a rainy day happy hour -- any time you find yourself in a sprinkle, head to this Arts District bar for $6 Irish coffee.
Truck Yard’s holiday cocktails are pretty utilitarian, but that doesn’t mean that they’re boring. Spike your Motor Sisters coffee, chai latte, or hot cocoa with Bailey’s, peppermint schnapps, or Frangelico for a perfectly warming (and sweet!) libation. If you prefer a hot toddy this time of year, try Truck Yard’s take, made with locally-distilled Herman Marshall whiskey.
Black Swan Saloon barman Gabe Sanchez is always creative, but that seems to be especially true during the holidays. Sanchez’s cinnamon candy-infused whiskey is infinitely better than Fireball, and makes the best hot toddy you’ll come across this year. As always at Black Swan, it’s best to let Sanchez’s constantly rotating arsenal of housemade ingredients guide your cocktail adventure during the holidays.
At Double Wide, the holiday cocktails run hot and cold. Here, you can order up a slushy mug of frozen egg nog, or warm up with a Thin Mint, the bar’s traditional Yoohoo Yeehaw! cocktail kicked up a notch with a shot of Rumplemintz and served warm. Traditional hot toddies and hot buttered rum are also on offer.
Even the margarita deserves a holiday twist, and at Gemma, that means introducing fragrant seasonal produce. The persimmon margarita is a seasonally-appropriate take on the classic Dallas fave, and a chile-infused salted rim will warm you right up, even if this cocktail is decidedly icy.
Indulge your inner child at the bar at Henry’s Majestic, where barman Alex Fletcher has created a s’mores cocktail that would make any seven year old jealous. In the Less Is S'more, Fletcher’s housemade chocolate toffee infused Irish whiskey is mixed with graham cracker cordial and coffee, then topped off with a generous scoop of brûléed marshmallow whip to create a cocktail that is also practically a dessert.
The weather has been nice enough to sit on HG Sply Co’s excellent patio for most of this winter. Even as the temperatures start to drop, you can still get in plenty of patio time at HG Sply Co with a hot mug of spicy and citrusy mulled wine.
The winter cocktails at this basement lounge are a little more refined than your average candy cane martini, but they’re equally evocative of seasonal flavors. Ace bar man Chad Solomon’s house-distilled alpine essences give cocktails like the Pinetop Perker, a wintry take on a traditional egg sour, an “aromatic garnish” that will remind you of standing in the middle of the forest at a ski resort. It’s decidedly more delicious than one might think.
If there’s anyone in Dallas that can make a stranger feel like family, it’s Chef Blythe Beck. The welcoming atmosphere at Pink Magnolia, Beck’s Bishop Arts celebration of all things booze, butter, and bacon, is the perfect place to unwind with a mug of hot buttered rum. Topped off with a big dollop of clove cream, this buttery cocktail probably has more calories than most dinners, and is so worth each and every one.
This winter hasn’t been particularly cold just yet, which means that Proof + Pantry is still serving up chilled cocktails with a seasonally-appropriate twist. The Witch Hanger, a riff on a traditional Harvey Wallbanger, is mixed with vodka and spicy Strega liqueur for a sip that tastes decidedly different than this basic OJ-and-vodka drink. Also new to Proof + Pantry this winter is a rainy day happy hour -- any time you find yourself in a sprinkle, head to this Arts District bar for $6 Irish coffee.
Truck Yard’s holiday cocktails are pretty utilitarian, but that doesn’t mean that they’re boring. Spike your Motor Sisters coffee, chai latte, or hot cocoa with Bailey’s, peppermint schnapps, or Frangelico for a perfectly warming (and sweet!) libation. If you prefer a hot toddy this time of year, try Truck Yard’s take, made with locally-distilled Herman Marshall whiskey.
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/54958481/Tina_s_Continental_Bar.80.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70931390/060421_ZenSushi_KathyTran_3506397.7.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57893317/IMG_0238.365.jpeg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48196459/IMG_0781.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62514406/blackswansaloonOFF.0.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65931918/standard_pour_whiskey.0.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70082677/10619987_10152576521063757_1826837747296436835_o.0.0.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62514407/IMG_0728.0.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/61081449/DoubleDs_1122_0001.13.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55086769/the_peel_out_thunderbird_station.13.jpeg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62514408/gemma-persimmonmarg.0.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67148989/031920_KhaoNoodleSoup_KathyTran_IMG_5509.0.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65133816/Smithy_CrabNachos_V2.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62514409/henrysmajestic-lessissmore.0.0.0.png)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59362979/chelsea_corner_bloody.13.jpeg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60050549/stirr_dallas_mimosas.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62514410/hgsply-mulledwine.0.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62514411/IMG_4097-01.0.0.0.jpeg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71822092/081722_Apothecary_Espresso_Martinique_KathyTran_IMG_0839.0.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55918203/081722_Apothecary_KathyTran_IMG_0806__1_.20.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62514412/pinkmagnolia-butteredrum.0.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62514413/ProofPantry-WitchHanger.0.0.0.png)
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62514414/truckyardMS.0.0.0.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71099992/log_XX_D2Shot36_SPN_05736__2_.7.jpg)
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/54957739/8RF_houston.6.jpeg)