Honeyed Hot Toddy
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
1 serving
Many upgrades have been made on the simple toddy, which in its early appearances contained nothing more than spirit, sugar and water — and, per early bartending manuals like Jerry Thomas’s “How to Mix Drinks,” was often served cold. But if you’re looking for a simple winter warmer, the combination of a richly flavored whiskey (try your preferred Highland or Islay single malt or an Irish pot still), honey and boiling hot water will steam you right up. Expressing a lemon peel over the surface and dropping it in gets you what Thomas would have called a “skin,” but we just call it delicious.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups water
2 ounces whiskey
1 tablespoon honey Lemon peel, for garnish (optional, but recommended)
Whole nutmeg, for garnish (optional, but recommended)
DIRECTIONS
In a small pot or kettle, bring the water to a rolling boil.
Add the whiskey and honey to a heatproof mug. If the honey sticks to the spoon, hold it over the mug and pour the boiling water slowly over the bowl of the spoon until the honey dissolves off. Continue to add more boiling water to the mug: You want 3 to 4 ounces (about 1/2 cup) water in total.
If using, express a lemon peel over the surface of the drink, then drop the peel into the mug. Grate a little nutmeg over the top, if using, and serve.
Apple Hot Toddy (Modern)
Active time: 10 minutes;
Total time: 15 minutes
1 serving
Jerry Thomas’s apple toddy recipe, from his classic “How to Mix Drinks” bartender’s manual, first published in the late 19th century, calls for half a baked apple. But if you don’t feel like waiting 40 minutes for an apple to bake, and then figuring out how to stuff that hot mushy apple into a mug while leaving room for brandy, sugar and boiling water, try this recipe for a nice apple-forward toddy. Use a dark, robust-flavored maple syrup. Note that the mixing technique suggested here, in which you float one half of a Boston shaker inside another that’s full of hot water, helps preserve as much heat as possible — if you don’t have a Boston shaker, you can make this drink in a small metal bowl set over a small pan of simmering water (a makeshift double-boiler).
INGREDIENTS
3 cups water
1-1/2 ounces apple brandy, such as Laird’s
3/4 ounce maple syrup
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce apple liqueur, such as Berentzen
2 dashes Angostura bitters One (3-inch) cinnamon stick, for garnish (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Thoroughly clean the inside and outside of both tins of a Boston shaker.
In a small pot or kettle, bring the water to a rolling boil. Fill a heatproof mug with some of the boiling water to keep the mug warm while you make the drink.
Pour about 1 cup of the boiling water into the smaller tin. Lower the larger tin into the smaller one (it will float in the hot water, but the bottom will be submerged, warming the ingredients). Keep the remaining hot water on the stove over low heat.
In the floating tin, stir together the apple brandy, maple syrup, lemon juice, apple liqueur and Angostura bitters until combined and warmed through.
Discard the hot water in the mug, then pour the contents of the shaker tin into the emptied mug. Top with 3 to 4 ounces of the simmering water. Garnish with a cinnamon stick, if using, and serve.
This Little Figgy Stayed Home Hot Toddy
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
1 serving
In this definitely-not-traditional hot toddy, the rich molasses notes of black rum (try Cruzan Black Strap or Myers’s Original Dark) combine beautifully with Liber’s spiced fig syrup. Note that the mixing technique suggested here, in which you float one half of a Boston shaker inside another that’s full of hot water, helps preserve as much heat as possible — if you don’t have a Boston shaker, you can make this drink in a small metal bowl set over a small pan of simmering water (a makeshift double-boiler).
Storage: Once open, Liber’s fig syrup can be refrigerated for up to 4 months.
Where to Buy: Liber and Co.’s syrups can be found at some drink specialty stores (call to confirm) or online.
INGREDIENTS
3 cups water
2 ounces black rum
1 ounce Liber & Co.’s Caramelized Fig syrup
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 dash Angostura bitters Clove-studded lemon wheel for garnish (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Thoroughly clean the inside and outside of both tins of a Boston shaker.
In a small pot or kettle, bring the water to a rolling boil. Fill a heatproof mug with some of the boiling water to keep the mug warm while you make the drink.
Pour about 1 cup of the boiling water into the smaller tin. Lower the larger tin into the smaller one (it will float in the hot water, but the bottom will be submerged, warming the ingredients). Keep the remaining hot water on the stove over low heat.
In the floating tin, stir together the rum, fig syrup, lemon juice and Angostura bitters until combined and warmed through.
Discard the hot water in the mug, then pour the contents of the shaker tin into the emptied mug. Top with 3 to 4 ounces of the simmering water, float the clove-studded lemon wheel on top, if using, and serve.