Sapphire magazine Naomi Bristow

5 Tips: Hot Toddies

We’ve waited months for this. Long, hot, humid months. But with fall officially here, we can finally enjoy a mug of that steaming alcoholic concoction—so delightful on a cool night—known as the Hot Toddy.

Get Out the Good Stuff:

You can use most any kind of liquor in a Toddy—the traditional formula is a combination of whisky, hot water, sugar and citrus—as long as it’s a good bottling. “The quality of the spirit matters even more with hot drinks,” There’s something about the harshness of a cheap spirit that comes out the more you heat it.”

Crank Up the Heat:
The Gentleman’s Companion author Charles H. Baker’s says “Serve cold drinks arctic cold…serve hot drinks steaming hot…Compromise in either of these events is merely bargaining with fault and disaster.” For Toddies, a heavy mug, which holds heat better than a glass, and he pre-warms it by filling it first with boiling water.

Keep it Simple:
While some Toddy recipes call for honey or even maple syrup, simple syrup (one part sugar, one part water), has a clean taste that doesn’t interfere with the other flavors.
But no matter which sweetener you choose, use more of it than might seem necessary to smooth out whatever harsh edges emerge from heating up the alcohol.

Try Cider:
Double down on the fall factor and substitute cider for water. People love drinking hot cider.It’s the first thing they go for when it gets cold.

Make a Punch:
Expecting some company? You can easily turn your favorite Toddy into a bowl of hot punch by just multiplying the recipe.
And don’t be afraid to experiment with different ingredients:

Hanny’s Hot Apple Toddy

Ingredients:
Boiling water
1.5 oz Luxardo Amaretto di Saschira
8 oz Apple cider, piping hot
Heavy cream, shaken until thick but pourable
Cinnamon
Glass: Mug

Preparation:
Fill a 10-oz mug with boiling water. When the mug is hot, pour out the water and add the amaretto and cider. Top with a layer of cream. Use a Microplane to grate fresh cinnamon on top.

Hot Tom Toddy

Ingredients:
Boiling water
2 oz Ransom Old Tom Gin
.5 oz Simple syrup (one part sugar, one part water)
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Garnish: Lemon wheel studded with cloves

Glass: Mug

PREPARATION:

Fill a 10-oz mug with boiling water. When the mug is hot, pour out the water and add the gin and syrup. Fill with fresh boiling water. Use a Microplane to grate cinnamon and nutmeg on top and garnish with a lemon wheel studded with cloves