No fireplace required.

Spirits on the spicier side of the flavour spectrum have a natural association with the cooler months for a whole bunch of reasons. Rich, decadent and often more well-suited to quiet sipping by a fire than at a beach party, they’re all about delivering comfort and warmth when our days just keep cooling down.

That said, spiced spirits aren’t just limited to the whiskies and rums we typically equate with mahogany armchairs, fireplaces and smoking jackets. Rather, distillers all over the world, including here in Australia, are taking inspiration from the cooler months to deliver spicy, complex spirits from a huge range of origins. Whether it’s a powerful hit of chilli or an array of worldly herbs and spices, here are some of our favourites we’re adding to our bar carts this season.

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1. Heathcote Smokin’ Chilli Gin

Smoked chilli heat isn’t the first tasting note you expect to see when you peruse the gin aisle, but Victoria’s Heathcote Gin is out to change your mind. Proving that hot, smoky flavours belong in gin just as much as citrus and herbs, their Smokin’ Chilli Gin, as the name suggests, uses smoked chillies (think chipotle flavours) to bring a warmth and depth that’ll add some real variety to your liquor cabinet. Mix it with ginger geer to lift that spice even more.

2. Opihr Oriental Spiced London Dry Gin

Big lashings of juniper and citrus are the flavours we most often associate with classic London Dry gins, but Opihir’s spiced-up take has developed a cult following. It draws from the flavours brought back to British docks during the height of the Asian spice trade. Spicy cubeb berries from Indonesia; cardamom, ginger and Tellicherry black pepper from India; cumin from Turkey; and coriander from Morocco all make an appearance. Topping things off, the spices are balanced by Turkish grapefruit and Spanish oranges. It’s a veritable world tour, and the result is beautifully layered gin unlike any other.

3. Four Pillars Spiced Negroni Gin

Most classic Negroni recipes call for a London Dry gin. Victoria’s Four Pillars calls BS on this with its much-acclaimed, spice-laden gin that’s formulated from the ground up to lend itself to the iconic Italian cocktail. The key is an array of spicy botanicals sourced from around the world, from African grains of paradise to Sichuan pepper and Indonesian cubeb, all of which cut through the bitters and vermouth to deliver a more balanced, complex Negroni.

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4. Ole Smokey Mango Habanero Whiskey

The label reads more like a hot sauce than a whiskey, but don’t let that put you off. While flavoured whiskies are often layered with rich, sweet pairings like honey and even peanut butter, the Mango Habanero Whiskey from Ole Smokey goes down a fruitier, spicier route. Take a whiff and you cop a noseful of mango sweetness, but a sip brings on a hit of spicy habanero chilli – just enough to send your taste buds into a samba, without overwhelming them. The result is a whisky that’s basically tailor-made for all manner of cocktail experiments.

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5. Rockstar Spirits Captain Webbs Two Swallows Citrus & Salted Caramel Spiced Rum

The name is a bit of a mouthful, but Rockstar Spirits are doing some seriously exciting things in the ever-growing world of flavoured rums. Here the distillery’s classic, complex spiced rum is given a hit of tangy freshness thanks to the addition of candied lemon and orange peel, layering on lashings of salted caramel to help provide a balanced hit of sweetness. The whole thing is like a beautifully nuanced dessert in a glass, with a lightly fiery finish of baking spices and ginger to keep things honest.

6. Caleño Dark & Spicy Non-Alcoholic Spirit

Non-alcoholic distillers are working hard to perfect the art of making refreshing, complex substitutes for drinks like gin and vodka. Recreating the complexity of spiced, aged spirits is a whole different ball game, but it’s a challenge that UK company Caleño has risen to. Inspired by the founder’s Colombian heritage, Dark & Spicy delivers all the tropical decadence of a classic spiced rum – think pineapple, coconut and lime notes – balanced by that sweet hallmark spice of the real deal. Doesn’t hurt that it’s also sugar free, gluten free, low-cal and vegan-friendly.