Warming Up with Winter:

The Best Hot Cocktails Using King Island Spirits

Featuring Martha’s Moonshine from King Island Distillery Bass Strait 

Winter on King Island is wild, untamed, and breathtaking — a season where sea spray meets icy winds and the fire becomes your favourite place to be. It’s also the perfect time to reimagine how you serve your spirits. Enter the hot cocktail: bold, warming, and made for winter evenings when the temperature drops and comfort calls. 

At King Island Distillery Bass Strait, our spirits are crafted to capture the elemental spirit of the island — and none more so than Martha’s Moonshine. Clear, unaged, and full of character, this handcrafted spirit is our modern take on a time-honoured tradition. And in winter, it becomes the ultimate base for elevated hot cocktails that are anything but ordinary. 

Here are two soul-warming serves to stir, sip, and savour. 

1. Martha’s Spiced Apple Warmer 

Think mulled cider with backbone — bold, fragrant, and beautifully balanced. 

Ingredients: 

• 45ml Martha’s Moonshine 

• 100ml cloudy apple juice 

• 10ml fresh lemon juice 

• Dash of maple syrup 

• Cinnamon stick + clove + star anise (for simmering) 

• Apple slice, to garnish 

Method: 

1. In a small saucepan, gently heat the apple juice with lemon juice, maple syrup, and spices until steaming but not boiling. 

2. Add Martha’s Moonshine and stir gently. 

3. Pour into a heatproof glass or mug. Garnish with a fresh apple slice and cinnamon stick. 

Why it works: Martha’s Moonshine has a clean, malt-forward profile that pairs beautifully with apple and spice, adding warmth without overpowering sweetness. 

2. King Island Hot Toddy Twist 

A coastal reinvention of a classic — bright, bold, and beautifully warming. 

Ingredients: 

• 45ml Martha’s Moonshine 

• 15ml King Island honey syrup (1:1 honey + hot water) 

• 15ml fresh lemon juice 

• 100ml hot water 

• Dash of bitters (optional) 

• Lemon wheel or rosemary sprig, to garnish 

Method: 

1. Combine moonshine, honey syrup, and lemon juice in a mug. 

2. Top with hot water and stir well. 

3. Add a dash of bitters for complexity (optional) and garnish with a lemon wheel or rosemary sprig. 

Why it works: This serve lets the purity of Martha’s Moonshine shine through, while the honey and lemon add classic comfort — a fireside favourite with a King Island edge. 

A Spirit for the Bold and the Curious 

Martha’s Moonshine isn’t your average clear spirit. It’s handcrafted on-site with filtered King Island rainwater, distilled with care, and deeply rooted in tradition — yet completely reimagined for modern drinkers. Its unaged clarity and corn-driven character make it the perfect canvas for hot cocktails that are equal parts warming and adventurous. 

So this winter, skip the usual and serve something real — something crafted, clean, and made to bring the fire to your glass. 

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