We made it to January, and now the weather is frigid, it’s gloomy and cold all the time, and the weeks drag on. One way to make surviving a little less miserable in these cold weeks is to have a nice, warm (or cold, if you’re brave) wintery drink in hand. Pittsburgh has a lot of great options to choose from for unique and relaxing drinks this winter season.

The Milkshake Factory – Hot Chocolate Milkshakes:
I know most people tend to go for warm drinks in the winter, and I respect that. However, if you’re like me, the ice cream cravings don’t just stop because it’s cold outside. The Milkshake Factory has three different flavors of their hot chocolate milkshakes to choose from – toasted marshmallow, sea salt caramel and peppermint. The winter essence is still there because of the hot chocolate, but it’s definitely a little more fun than a packet of chocolate powder and milk.

Starbucks – Toffee Nut Latte:
For the brand-loyal people (or those who prefer the short walk to Market Square), this one’s for you. Toffee nut is such an underrated wintery flavor in my opinion. Even in the winter, I tend to go for iced rather than hot – but for the extra cold days, nothing sounds better than a warm Starbucks cup in hand.

Rock n’ Joe – Raspberry Mocha
Anything chocolatey is automatically a winter drink to me, especially if it’s warm. Rock n’ Joe’s raspberry mocha is good especially around Valentine’s Day because of the raspberry. It tastes like a chocolate-covered raspberry, and it’s just overall great for the winter.

61C Cafe – Cappuccino Mocha
Another mocha drink makes the list, but it’s a great one. 61C Cafe, located in Squirrel Hill (right on the 61C bus route) is a cute cafe with a really fun drink menu. See above for the love for mocha, but put it in a cappuccino and it’s such a cozy drink to keep on you during the winter. Cappuccinos are foamy and warm— put chocolate into the mix, and you have a perfect cold weather drink.

Delanie’s Coffee – Chai
Chai is another drink that was just made for the winter season. It’s cinnamony and just tastes warm. Iced chai lattes are one of my favorite drinks ever, and they’re super easy to make or find at a coffee shop. Delanie’s Coffee in the South Side has a delicious chai latte, made with Masala chai from Rishi tea.

Dunkin’ – Brown Sugar Cookie Coffee
The flavor of this one should speak for itself. Brown Sugar Cookie, a pretty new flavor at Dunkin’, is so good, and again, is very wintery. You can get this drink in a hot coffee, iced coffee, latte, macchiato, frozen coffee and pretty much any of their other drink options. I would highly recommend this flavor in a macchiato, hot or iced.

Whether you’re a warm drink person in the winter or a cold drink all year-round person, you’ll be sure to find something yummy to keep you warm this winter.