Hog Town Toddy

It’s winter and the living room doesn’t have as much insulation as one might like, so it’s time for hot toddies. I was in the mood for more bitter than refreshing, so I took some inspiration from the Toronto cocktail, but decided I wanted a rounder feel so replaced the usual simple & bitters with Drambuie to good effect.

2.0 oz rye whiskey (Old Overholt)
0.5 oz Drambuie
0.25 oz Fernet Branca
4 oz hot water
Add everything to a mug, no need to even stir

The first impression was warming, naturally, but it held up just fine even as it cooled. The sweetness plus mint gives it an after-dinner quality, but not cloying. Don’t overdo the Fernet! This toddy was pleasantly medicinal sipper with a lingering complexity, but more mint would have been unappealing. Despite the abundance of whiskey, it doesn’t feel boozy, so it’s a good thing that other elements slow you down.

Fall Toddy

I know it probably seems strange for me to post a drink called the Fall Toddy on the first of June, but it is currently 48°F and raining in Boston, so I’m just not in the mood for a sour. It is mostly a sense of indigence that is keeping me from turning on the heat, so I’ll bundle up and pour myself a hot drink.

1 oz   apple brandy (Laird's)
1 oz   New England rum (Bully Boy)
0.5 oz cranberry vodka
0.5 oz simple syrup
2 dash Jerry Thomas Bitters
4 oz   boiling water

Combine all ingredients in a mug

Comforting and smooth with a spice and complexity. The cranberry vodka is a homemade infusion. I don’t really have a precise recipe, I just start making spiced cranberry sauce, only add a small amount of sugar (a couple tablespoons instead of a couple of cups), transfer it to a bottle and top off with vodka.