Who doesn’t love escaping the cold in the winter months with a tasty beverage? Cosying up in a comfy chair with a hot drink in hand is one of life’s little pleasures, which got us thinking – what’s the UK’s favourite winter warmer drink?
With winter in full swing and the cold, dark nights here to stay until spring, we conducted a little survey to find out! From classics such as mulled wine and hot toddies to lesser-known delights such as mead and Jagertee, we reveal which drinks will be warming the nation this winter.
The UK’s favourite winter warmers
Most popular winter drinks in the UK
Boss tier
Unsurprisingly, one winter drink stood head and shoulders above the rest – the classic hot chocolate! This delicious sweet treat has always been popular, but with 40% of the votes, it takes the top spot as the nation’s favourite winter beverage.
Made by combining chocolate shavings or cocoa powder with heated milk or water, this popular drink is simple to make and has been enjoyed for thousands of years.
Believed to have been created in Ecuador and originally used medicinally to treat a variety of ailments, it eventually reached Europe in the 16th century and, due to the high cost of chocolate, became a luxury item among the European nobility who started to add sugar and milk to make it even sweeter. In fact, the aristocratic nature of the drink led to hot chocolate being referred to as ‘the drink of the gods’ in the late 18th century!
Hot chocolate can be enjoyed simply as melted chocolate or topped with tasty whipped cream and marshmallows. For an extra twist, why not add a shot of South Africa’s cream liqueur, Amarula, or a classic Irish cream liqueur?
Another delicious variation that’s perfect for chilly winter days is Chocolate Caliente – the Spanish version of a classic hot chocolate, it’s served extra thick (almost like a pudding) and often flavoured with cinnamon, vanilla, orange and lemon.
Fancy spicing up your winter?
Take a look at our list of the most beautiful winter cities and find a new UK city to explore such as York, Liverpool or London.
Wherever you choose to discover on your next city break, you’ll find a Premier Inn waiting nearby with a hot chocolate and super-comfy beds ready to warm you up after a day of exploring.
Liqueur coffee
Good tier
Three popular winter warmers make up our top tier – flavoured coffee, liqueur coffee and mulled wine.
The popularity of flavoured coffee is on the rise with 17.5% of respondents in our study selecting this as one of their winter favourites. Many coffee chains and restaurants offer tempting treats like a mocha, turmeric latte or the popular pumpkin spiced latte for anyone looking for a warming caffeine hit packed full of flavour.
Another popular choice for coffee lovers in the winter months is to add a little liqueur. Voted as a winter favourite by 13.6% of people in our study, liqueur coffee can take many forms with its combination of caffeine, alcohol and often cream and sugar for added sweetness.
Perhaps the most famous is Irish coffee, a classic combination of Irish whiskey, sugar, black coffee and thick cream floating on top.
Rich and luxurious, Irish coffee has been enjoyed for decades. Other variations similar to Irish coffee include Carajillo, which is traditionally served in Spain with brandy, Cuba with rum and Mexico with Kahlúa or Tia Maria.
Mulled wine completes our top tier of winter beverages, chosen by 12.6% of UK residents and particularly popular in Belfast, where over 20% of residents selected it as a favourite. Synonymous with the festive season, nothing screams ‘merry and bright’ quite like a mulled wine! There’s the classic red wine spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg or the German equivalent Glühwein, which is perfect for a pick me up if you’re visiting a Christmas market!
Warm apple cider
Mid tier
Our mid-tier contains an eclectic mix of hot beverages ranging from a refreshing lemonade and famous hot toddy to beefy British favourite Bovril and the classic Ribena.
Invented in Bristol in 1938 by Dr Vernon Charley, Ribena quickly became an iconic British drink, loved for its rich blackcurrant sweetness.
When made as a hot drink, Ribena transforms from a refreshing thirst-quencher into a comforting drink that, thanks to its high vitamin C content, has helped people to beat the winter chill and soothe sore throats for decades.
The same is true for hot lemonade, which packs a citrus punch and a welcome dose of vitamin C at the coldest times of year. These soothing winter warmers gained just under 10% of votes in our survey – 9.7% for hot Ribena and 8.2% for hot lemonade.
Warm cider also features in our mid-tier of winter warmers with 7% of respondents voting it as a favourite. Cider is popular year-round, but who doesn’t love a wonderfully warm and deliciously fruity winter drink? Descending from ‘wassail’, a hot drink and tradition of singing and dancing over the festive period, warm cider has been a British favourite for years!
Hot toddy is next – it’s a classic that’s similar to warm cider and traditionally made with hot water, whiskey, honey and lemon. Revered for its medicinal qualities, the hot toddy is the ultimate nightcap for long, dark winter days, as people used to drink it to help clear congestion and fall asleep feeling toasty.
Completing the mid-tier is Bovril – an acquired taste for some, but not in Glasgow, where it was voted as a favourite! Also used as a spread for toast, the strong, salty, meaty flavour of Bovril remains particularly popular with football fans looking to keep warm in stadiums as they cheer on their team in winter!
Chai latte
Low tier
Our low tier winter warmers contain plenty of spice in the form of the chai latte with just under 6% of votes. Packed full of warming spices like cardamom, cloves, ginger and cinnamon, the chai latte and variations such as dirty chai and masala chai are guaranteed to warm you up this winter.
If caffeine isn’t your thing, then why not try the Caribbean-inspired hot rum punch? It’s a go to winter drink for just under 6% of our survey respondents who love its tropical sweetness and the kick provided by rum, cognac and sherry.
Two other tasty cocktails complete our list – Winter Pimm’s, an adaptation of the well-known summer tipple that still brings the classic flavours you love but with a multitude of spices. Cranberry punch also features among our favourites, with all of the fruity taste of cranberry coupled with the warmth of ginger ale.
Less popular but no less delicious winter warmer beverages include eggnog, black velvet, boozy tea and one of the world’s oldest alcoholic beverages, mead.
And that’s a wrap! We hope we’ve inn-spired you to try a new winter warmer this year. Plus, why not enjoy your next hot drink while discovering somewhere new? Check out our travel guides for a little more inn-spiration and book a great value winter break with us!
Methodology:
A list of 25 popular warming drinks was compiled using desk research. A survey of 2001 nationally representative UK respondents was carried out, asking each respondent to identify the drinks that they enjoy during winter to help warm them up. The resulting percentages were then used to rank the drinks in order of popularity.
All data correct as of December 2024.