<p class="ingestion featured-caption">Mulled wine is great at home, but don't order it at a bar.Dasha Petrenko/Shutterstock</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Business Insider asked bartenders which <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-hot-coffee-and-tea-at-starbucks-former-barista">hot drinks</a> people should skip this season.</li><li><a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/review-favorite-hot-chocolate-recipes-from-popular-chefs-taste-test">Spiked hot chocolate</a> is festive, but the flavors usually aren't balanced right.</li></ul><p>It's officially time to swap <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cocktails-drinks-you-should-never-order-in-the-summer-bartenders-2024-7">margaritas and piña coladas</a> for more season-appropriate beverages.</p><p>However, some classic warm cocktails don't always offer much bang for your buck.</p><p>There are already enough ways to <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mom-not-doing-boo-baskets-halloween-2024-10">waste money in the holiday season</a>, so Business Insider asked bartenders, sommeliers, and bar leads which hot drinks they'd never order — and what to get instead.</p>