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Hot Toddies


lperry

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There's another cold, rainy front heading this way, and I'm determined to stay warm. Last year I picked up some mulling spices and made hot, spiced cider and rum drinks that really hit the spot when it was nasty outside. They were relatively simple with an ounce or two of gold rum and the remainder of the mug filled with the apple cider. I know the mixology masters around here must have some other ideas, and I'm hoping people will share recipes for toddies, mulled beverages, and the like. :(

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I like a good hot buttered rum now and then. In a big mug that you've first warmed with boiling water, put the following: a thick half-slice of lemon studded with three cloves, a cinnamon stick, a star anise, a heaping teaspoon of dark brown ("old fashioned") sugar. Pour in a bit of boiling water and muddle. Add a shot (or more) of dark rum, like Myer's. Fill with more hot water. Float a pat of butter on top and sprinkle with nutmeg.

We also make Glühwein every year for Christmas parties. This is always a hit. I don't use measurements, but here's the general approach. 3 oranges and 2 lemons, cut into quarters and studded with about 12 cloves. A handful of cinammon sticks, a couple star anise. Put everything in a non-reactive pot with two 1.5 L bottles of a robust red. I like using the Concha y Toro Cab or Cab/Shiraz. Bring to a slow simmer, partially covered, like you're making stock (anything higher will cause the alcohol to evaporate quickly, and we wouldn't want that, would we?) Then dissolve sugar in the hot wine to taste. You have to taste carefully here. I usually end up using about a cup of sugar, I think, but whatever you do don't make it too sweet. There is nothing worse than treacly Glühwein. Ladle into glass mugs, leaving all solids in the pot. I usually like having my Glühwein "mit Schuß" (i.e., with a shot of rum added to the mug; some like Amaretto for this). If this doesn't warm you up, you are already dead.

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A couple of you mentioned using water, and I will admit having avoided recipes in the past that rely on hot water. I always assumed they'd be, well, watery. I'll give it a go this season. I'm also going to try the Glühwein - maybe in a Crock pot?

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A couple of you mentioned using water, and I will admit having avoided recipes in the past that rely on hot water. I always assumed they'd be, well, watery. I'll give it a go this season. I'm also going to try the Glühwein - maybe in a Crock pot?

A crock pot is fine. So is water for the hot buttered rum, as long as you use a good dark brown sugar with a high molasses content (like Domino's "old fashioned").

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I like a good hot buttered rum now and then. In a big mug that you've first warmed with boiling water, put the following: a thick half-slice of lemon studded with three cloves, a cinnamon stick, a star anise, a heaping teaspoon of dark brown ("old fashioned") sugar. Pour in a bit of boiling water and muddle. Add a shot (or more) of dark rum, like Myer's. Fill with more hot water. Float a pat of butter on top and sprinkle with nutmeg.

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I love hot buttered rum. The Tabard Inn makes a great hot buttered rum with everything you mentioned except instead of lemon, they use a slice of orange. I also don't think their version includes star anise. Not sure about the dark brown sugar either but the basic recipe is the same.

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There's also the Penicillin, which, while it was originally intended to be cold, can be made as a hot drink and is really good.

Thread drift!

The Penicillin is an excellent drink. The "Mr. Antoni" that I had at door 74, substituting the Rutte Paradyswyn Corenwyn jenever for the Grouse, is also an excellent drink. The current Bols Genever available in the USA would work for that drink, maybe augmented with a bit of Grouse or Jameson.

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A couple of you mentioned using water, and I will admit having avoided recipes in the past that rely on hot water. I always assumed they'd be, well, watery. I'll give it a go this season. I'm also going to try the Glühwein - maybe in a Crock pot?

Good water is a part of every mixed drink! I like tea, but water's even easier than that.

Coming down with a cold, last night I heated some water, grated some ginger into it, used eucalyptus honey, lemon juice and the kicker was a shot (or so) of Laird's bonded applejack. Mighty fine. Two were even better.

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I enjoyed a Hot Toddy riff at the Tabard Inn several weeks ago, Chantal used star anise, whiskey, and cinnamon stick stirrer. Was very nice, I'd do that everytime.

Had something similar to it at Againn last week, although it was made with Calvados and garnished with a star anise and some coffee beans.

Justin has added some really nice hot drinks on the W's rooftop. I've started with a hot apple cider (made with pear brandy, whiskey, and hot cider) which is killer. And then his ridiculous (as in without peer) Hot Peanut Buttered Rum (or something like that), with peanut-butter infused rum (mine was sans whipped cream). Tastes more like peanut butter than peanut butter does.

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^ I'm trying to figure out how to strain the peanut butter from the rum without making a huge, gooey mess. Maybe the alcohol is a solvent for the oils?

I've been in a rut, albeit a delicious one. Mr. lperry returned from another trip into the wilds of Virginia with a gallon of freshly pressed apple cider. I did a lazy infusion and poured the last of a can of mulling spices into it. Poured into a mug, heated for two minutes in the microwave, and mixed with a bit of Barbancourt three star, this is a lovely warming drink.

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Good water is a part of every mixed drink! I like tea, but water's even easier than that.

Coming down with a cold, last night I heated some water, grated some ginger into it, used eucalyptus honey, lemon juice and the kicker was a shot (or so) of Laird's bonded applejack. Mighty fine. Two were even better.

Your remedy sounds like a good one, especially with the ginger in it, weinoo. I'll have to try it.

Here's a Mexican remedy that has worked for me (I'm really not a big fan of tequila, but Vitamin T is supposed to be the key ingredient):

a cup of boiling water

a generous shot of tequila

fresh squeezed lemon

1/2-1 teaspoon of sugar, preferably brown

a slice of orange

Drink just before bedtime (it will knock you out).

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