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Here at MoM Towers, the best Bonfire Night drinks are peaty treats and smoky spirits, so we’ve rounded up some of our favourites right here. Tempted? Of course you are.
Bonfire Night falls on 5 November in the UK, bringing fireworks, autumnal food and the annual challenge of convincing your dog that the world is not ending.
Whether you’re attending a display, gathering around a beach bonfire or staying beside the fire at home, the right drink should be warming, full of flavour and easy to serve. Peated whisky is the obvious choice, but smoky gin, mezcal, bourbon and rum can all get involved.
Below you’ll find some of the best Bonfire Night drinks, along with easy cocktails and practical advice for carrying them outdoors. Nobody wants to assemble a Martini in a muddy field. Actually, just to be bloody minded, I kind of do now. Anyway, here’s the round-up.
The Best Bonfire Night Drinks
Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire 10 Year Old
This beauty has fire in the name, which is already a good start. Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire is a 10-year-old single malt from an undisclosed Islay distillery, with a portion finished in first-fill oloroso sherry octaves. It’s a smoky, sherried and coastal dram for those who like their Islay whisky uncompromising.
What does it taste like?
Rich sherry, peat smoke, sweet red apple, oaken vanilla and chargrilled, well-aged steak.
Bonfire Night serve: Pour a 25ml measure into a sturdy cup and serve neat. A few drops of water will reveal more fruit beneath the peat. Or add soda for a smoky Highball. If you’re heading outdoors, leave the carbonated drinks out of your Thermos unless you fancy turning its lid into a projectile.
Burnt Ends Blended Whiskey
If you love burnt ends, which you should, then you’re going to be salivating at the prospect of this whiskey. Inspired by those charred, smoky morsels, Burnt Ends combines Tennessee rye whiskey with sherry-cask-finished peated single malt Scotch whisky. The result is meaty, smoky, rich and satisfying.
What does it taste like?
Rich spice, peat, apple juice, rye, barbecue sauce and smoky sausage.
Bonfire Night serve: Burnt Ends Old Fashioned
- 50ml Burnt Ends Blended Whiskey
- 5ml maple syrup
- 2 dashes aromatic bitters
- Orange peel, to garnish
Stir everything except the garnish with ice, strain over fresh ice and add the orange peel.
You can batch this before a Bonfire Night party. Multiply the recipe by the number of guests and add approximately 10ml water per serving to replace the dilution normally supplied by stirring.
Dangerous Don Joven Mezcal
Firstly, can we appreciate what an amazing name Dangerous Don is? Straight out of El Beano. Secondly, let’s acknowledge how awesome mezcal is. If you’re unfamiliar with it, here’s what you need to know: this is a smoky, zesty and smooth spirit made exclusively from Espadín agave using traditional production methods.
Try it neat, in a Mezcal Negroni or in an Old Fashioned.
What does it taste like?
Green grass, fresh agave sweetness, aromatic smoke and citrus.
Bonfire Night serve: Mezcal Old Fashioned
- 50ml Dangerous Don Joven
- 5ml agave syrup
- 2 dashes aromatic bitters
- Orange peel, to garnish
Stir with ice and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with orange peel.
Lagavulin 16 Year Old
When you need a smoky single malt for sipping on Bonfire Night, look no further than Lagavulin 16 Year Old. Unless you don’t like the sound of a profile so rich and complex it stole the heart of Ron Swanson. The Islay single malt brings deep peat smoke together with dried fruit and sherry cask richness. It’s a classic fireside whisky for good reason.
What does it taste like?
Lapsang souchong tea, iodine, sweet spice, figs, dates, sherry and creamy vanilla.
Bonfire Night serve: Neat, in a 25ml measure, preferably beside an actual fire. Add a little water if you want to uncover more fruit and sweetness.
Burning Barn Smoked Rum
An intriguingly rich rum which is aptly smoky considering the name of its producers – Burning Barn. They make this expression by cold smoking their rum with local apple wood, imparting obvious campfire ember and smoked meat notes, which juxtapose handsomely with the spirit’s underlying sweetness.
What does it taste like?
It’s not shy about the its smoky notes. Burnt wood and crisp bacon (with a drizzle of maple syrup for good measure). Hints of caramelised fruit and chocolate hide underneath.
Bonfire Night serve: Neat, in a 25ml measure, preferably beside an actual fire. Add a little water if you want to uncover more fruit and sweetness.
A Hot Toddy always goes down well in winter
Easy Bonfire Night Hot Toddy
A Hot Toddy is one of the easiest Bonfire Night cocktails to prepare. It is warm, forgiving and can be made in advance without requiring somebody to shake a drink while wearing gloves.
For one serving:
- 35ml whisky
- 100ml hot water
- 10ml fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp honey
- Lemon peel and cinnamon stick, to garnish
Add the hot water, lemon juice and honey to a heatproof mug. Stir until the honey dissolves, then add the whisky.
For four outdoor servings, combine 140ml whisky, 300ml hot water, 40ml lemon juice and eight teaspoons of honey. Transfer the mixture to a preheated 500ml vacuum flask.
Leave the cinnamon sticks out of the flask. They can become overpowering and may block the lid, an undignified conclusion for any spice.
Mulled wine isn’t just for Christmas, y’know
Easy mulled wine recipe
Mulled wine is popular among Bonfire Night drinks because it is easy to prepare in quantity and even easier to transport.
For around eight small servings:
- 2 bottles red wine
- 100ml brandy
- 100g soft brown sugar
- 2 oranges, sliced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cloves
- 2 star anise
- 1 strip lemon peel
Add everything except the brandy to a large saucepan. Warm gently for 20 minutes without allowing the wine to boil. Remove it from the heat, stir in the brandy and adjust the sugar to taste.
Strain before transferring the mulled wine into preheated Thermoses. Nobody wants to wrestle a star anise through the lid while the fireworks happen without them.
Slow cooker mulled wine
Add everything except the brandy to a slow cooker and heat on low for one to two hours. Do not let it boil. Stir in the brandy shortly before serving.
Mulled white wine
Replace the red wine with a full-bodied white. Use apple, lemon peel, fresh ginger and cardamom for a fresher style, and reduce the sugar before tasting.
A hip flash is an essential for Bonfire Night
How to take drinks to a bonfire
A hip flask is best for neat spirits. Use a clean stainless-steel flask, fill it shortly before leaving and empty it when you return.
Keep fruit juice, dairy and sugary cocktails out of hip flasks. They are difficult to clean and will eventually develop a civilisation of their own.
Use a vacuum flask or Thermos for Hot Toddies, mulled wine and warm apple drinks. Preheat it with boiling water for a few minutes, empty it, then add the prepared drink. Measure everything at home, because pouring cask-strength whisky by eye in the dark is how a Hot Toddy becomes an administrative incident.
As a rough guide:
- 25ml is a standard pub measure of spirits.
- 50ml is a generous double measure.
- A 500ml Thermos holds around four 125ml servings.
- A one-litre Thermos holds around eight 125ml servings.
Check the rules before taking alcohol to a public display. Many events ban glass, and some prohibit alcohol completely. Use reusable metal or plastic cups, keep drinks away from the fire and take every piece of packaging home.
A dram on a remote beaches. I can think of worse way to pass the time…
What alcohol should you bring to a beach bonfire?
First, check that both fires and alcohol are allowed on the beach. Many prohibit one or both, and the tide is unlikely to respect your carefully planned gathering.
If permitted, choose one versatile bottle rather than attempting to transport an entire drinks cabinet. Peated whisky, bourbon, mezcal and smoky or spiced rum all suit the setting.
Leave the glass bottle with the host or carry a sensible amount in a metal flask. Take all cups, caps and packaging home. The beach has enough problems without inheriting your lime wedges.
Non-alc doesn’t mean boring!
Alcohol-free Bonfire Night drinks
Drivers and anyone avoiding alcohol deserve something better than lukewarm water.
For hot spiced apple juice, gently warm cloudy apple juice with orange peel, cinnamon, cloves and fresh ginger. Strain it into a preheated Thermos and add lemon juice to balance the sweetness.
Alcohol-free mulled wine works in much the same way, while hot chocolate flavoured with chilli, cinnamon or orange makes excellent bonfire fuel.
Label every flask clearly. Accidentally giving the driver the cask-strength Hot Toddy would rather spoil the evening.
Enjoy Bonfire Night!
The Last Drop
The best Bonfire Night party ideas do not require a portable cocktail bar.
Take one good bottle for sharing or prepare a warm drink at home and carry it in a Thermos. Wrap up warm, measure responsibly and find somewhere safe to enjoy the fireworks.
Then go home and apologise to the dog.
