Hail to the Hot Toddy

A cocktail to chase the winter chill

As a Florida girl, I just can’t tolerate the cold. Riding river rapids in North Carolina, hiking through Yosemite National Park and strolling the streets of New York were beautiful experiences, but my violent shivering and seemingly paper-thin skin always put a damper on the adventure. Only one thing seems to remedy this ailment, a steamy hot toddy.

Every restaurant, bartender and at-home mixologist has his take on the classic cocktail, but most recipes follow a similar formula: hot water, sweetener, citrus, spices and a spirit. Purists cling to whiskey or bourbon, though some nontraditionalists incorporate sweeter spirits like rum or brandy. Add a dash of honey, a cinnamon stick and a twist of lemon, and you are well on your way to something special.

Believed to have originated in 18th-century Scotland, the hot toddy was often prescribed as a tonic to fight off the common cold. Opinions on these purported health benefits vary wildly today. Hot water and honey certainly have their benefits, but calling any liquor medicinal is sure to raise a few eyebrows. Still, there is no denying that a shot or two of warm whiskey can ease the bite of chilly weather.

More importantly, hot toddies are delicious.

Luckily, none of us has to brave snowbird country for a sip of the good stuff. Hot toddies are easy to make at home, and several local bars feature a toddy variation or two on their winter cocktail menus.

Bar 1903 keeps a simple but elevated hot toddy on its holiday cocktail menu.

“It’s a bit nostalgic for me, I guess,” Bar 1903 general manager Austin Conatser laughed. “Even my parents used hot toddies as a sort of cold remedy when I was a kid.”

Conatser yields to customer preferences but is fond of experimenting with spirits, sweetness and spice. Rather than the traditional whisky, rye or scotch, Conatser often recommends rum, brandy or Calvados, an apple brandy. This particular brandy can only be produced in Normandy and gives a hot toddy a flavor similar to its spiritual cousin, spiked cider.

“Sometimes, I’ll encourage people to spruce it up with a bit of cinnamon or allspice,” Conatser said. “If I go the cinnamon route, I’ll add our cinnamon syrup and a cinnamon stick for garnish. Sometimes, I add Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram, a rum-based liqueur we use for some of our holiday cocktails.”

At the Liberty Bar, bartender Kumi Oyama broadened my hot toddy horizons even further. Like Conatser, Oyama has no trepidation when it comes to experimenting with flavors. She foregoes the lemon squeeze for something a bit closer to the bar’s Florida roots.

“We usually do a combination of honey, Ology Bourbon infused with cinnamon and cloves to get that festive holiday spice and our house orange juice,” Oyama said. “Sometimes, I’ll just add a twist of orange peel as a garnish, so the oils infuse with each sip.”

While both Conatser and Oyama find a common ground with honey, many recipes call for sugar or agave. Across the pond, substituting hot water for Earl Grey is standard practice.

Without a time machine and a Scottish brogue, we may never know the definitive, original recipe for the hot toddy. That’s what makes the drink special. The simple recipe can be adapted to anyone’s taste, whether classic or elaborate.

“When winter rolls around, people come looking for a hot drink,” Conatser said. “Hot toddies are a crowd-pleaser.”