Toddies and Beyond: 11 Hot Cocktails To Warm the Soul in Wintertime

Today happens to be something someone made up as National Hot Toddy Day. It’s also the middle of January, when many of us are in need of a proper, soul-warming defrost. Toddies are soothing, delicious and highly restorative, but so are many other types of hot cocktails. 

Bars that have kept up outdoor service this winter while still navigating Covid-19 safety regulations have added creative variations on the toddy and other warm drinks to their menus for patrons willing to brave the elements outside their establishments, or offering the drinks to go. But if you want to prepare a winter warmer at home, here are recipes for a simple Scotch toddy, hot Port, hot cider, boozy hot cocoa, hot buttered rum, a hot Negroni and more! 

Speyside Scotch Toddy

• 1 ½ oz Aberlour 12 Year Old Scotch (this blueprint also works with Irish whiskey, bourbon, rum, tequila, gin and almost any other base spirit)
• ½ oz lemon juice
• hot water
• 1 tbsp honey
• Garnish: lemon wheel and cinnamon stick 

Combine Scotch and lemon juice in a mug (optional, warm the mug first by filling it with hot water and discarding just before building the drink). Top with hot water and add lemon and cinnamon. 

Sipsmith Hot Negroni

Hot gin is a centuries’ old tradition far more common in the U.K. than in the U.S., but it’s exactly the sort of British ginvasion we need right now. Try this hot, yet fresh, take on the classic equal parts gin recipe! 

• 1 oz Sipsmith London Dry Gin 
• 1 oz Campari 
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• hot, brewed red berry tea of choice 
• Garnish: dehydrated Orange (optional), or fresh orange slice

Pour the first three ingredients into a mug and stir. Brew the tea, strain, and pour into the mug to top. Garnish with a dehydrated orange or fresh orange slice. 

Sandeman Spiked Cider Apitiv

This hot Port wonder is adapted from a recipe courtesy of Bar Bocce in Sausalito, CA. 

• 6 oz apple cider
• 2 oz vodka (note: blanco tequila, dry gin, white rum or unaged whiskey would also work) 
• 1 oz Sandeman White Port
• ½ oz orange liqueur 
• 3 whole cloves
• Garnish: cinnamon stick (optional) 

Over medium heat, bring apple cider and cloves to a simmer. Add base spirit of choice, Port and orange liqueur, and stir occasionally until hot. Strain into mug. Garnish with cinnamon stick (optional). 

Mela

Courtesy Pete Stanton, head bartender at Bar Fiori/Ai Fiori at the Langham Hotel, New York City 

Says Stanton:  “This is a simple spiced hot hot cider featuring the fruit forward Rémy Martin Tercet, a cognac composed of their more fruit forward eaux de vie. The Mela is then double spiced with St Elizabeth Allspice Dram & a spiced Velvet Falernum adding body and warm baking spice. The richness of these three ingredients are cut with a bit of lemon adding acidity and freshness.”

3 oz apple cider 

1 ½ oz cognac (Stanton uses Rémy Martin Tercet) 

¼ oz Grand Marnier orange liqueur 

¼ oz Spiced Velvet Falernum (recipe follows, or see note) 

½ oz lemon juice

3 dashes of St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram (or use Angostura bitters) 

Garnish: lemon studded with 5 cloves 

Warm cider over med heat and remove just before boiling. Combine all other ingredients into a warmed mug. Garnish with the clove-studded lemon. 

Spiced Velvet Falernum 

Add 12 allspice berries, 3 cinnamon sticks (cassia bark if possible) and 4 big blades of mace (1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg if no mace) to a 750 ml bottle of Taylor’s Velvet Falernum. Allow to sit overnight or up to 2 weeks (shaking periodically) and strain. Note: if this is not possible, simply infuse a cup of Velvet Falernum liqueur with a few dry spices overnight and strain before using, or omit from the recipe—it will still be delicious! 

Apples to Apples

courtesy Kayleigh Speck, The East End, Providence, RI 

Build in a coffee mug and top with hot water. Garnish. 

Apple shrub 

Slice 8 apples and soak in 250g apple cider vinegar. Rest overnight or up to a week. Strain out the fruit and add in 250g sugar. Boil and stir to dissolve. Keeps refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.  

Ponche de Mezcal

Ponche Navideño is a spicy, warm fruit punch traditionally served in Mexico during the holidays. The drink features tejocote, a fruit which up until recently was only legally available in its native land, but is now available in the states. One of the most popular hot cocktails ordered for outdoor winter sipping at Clover Club in Brooklyn, NY is a mezcal ponche created by their longtime barback Mauricio, who has adapted a family recipe using stewed tejocotes, along with other fruits and spices. You can make your own adaptation by adding spices and tamarind to apple cider, pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, guava juice or a combination, or try your hand at a real ponche, with a recipe here. 

• 1 ½ oz mezcal 
• ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• 4 oz ponche (or another warm, spiced fruit punch) 

Heat and serve with a cinnamon stick or sugar cane stick. 

The Ginger Toddy 

courtesy Stefan Huebner, Dot Dot Dot, Charlotte, NC 

• 2 oz. Don Q Reserva 7 Rum 
• 6 oz hot ginger tea 
• 1 cinnamon stick 
• 3 cloves 
• ½ oz lemon juice 
• ½ oz barrel aged maple syrup 
• Garnish: Lemon twist 

Add 6 ounces of water, one bag of ginger tea, cinnamon stick and three cloves to a pot and bring to a boil. Add lemon juice and maple syrup and strain into a warm mug (preferably glass Irish coffee mug). Add 2 ounces of Don Q Reserva 7 Rum, stir and garnish with a lemon twist.

Silk Road Hot Buttered Rum

Courtesy Mikayla Cansler, The Shipwright’s Daughter, Mystic, CT

Says Cansler: “Mystic has a long and storied nautical history, so a hot buttered rum is perfect for the winter months [here]. This recipe uses The Real McCoy Rum, a local rum company founded in Mystic.” 

• 1 ½ oz dark rum (the restaurant uses Real McCoy) 
• ½ oz Italian walnut liqueur (Nocino) 
• 6 oz hot water
• 2 Tbsp butter mixture (recipe follows)
• Garnish: cinnamon stick 

In a heatproof mug, add the rum, walnut liquor and 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture. Top with hot water, and garnish with a cinnamon stick.  

Butter mixture

Note: makes several drinks, and you can use it as a spread on bread, pancakes and other treats! 

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp saffron syrup
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat until mixed well.

Spiked Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate is a blank canvas for spirits and liqueurs. Prepare it with orange liqueur so it tastes like a liquid version of a freshly cracked chocolate orange. Try it with rum, bourbon, mezcal, Scotch, or tequila for a simple soothe. Try it with a good amaro, or a coffee liqueur for a bit of bite. I prefer it with Chartreuse, which plays off the cocoa by enhancing its sweetness, vanilla notes and subtle mintiness. 

• 1.5 oz spirit of choice (or add 1 oz rum, whiskey or tequila and ½ oz liqueur for more layered flavors) 
• 1 cup of whole milk (oat milk, almond milk or coconut milk works well here too) 
• 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips) 

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the milk until very hot, but not boiling. Add the chocolate and let stand until melted. Whisk until smooth, then add the spirit(s), whisk again, and give it another quick bit of heat to warm it up. Add to a warmed mug and enjoy! 

Mulled Wine  

This recipe uses ingredients you probably have in your pantry and is deceptively easy to prepare. It comes courtesy Aviram Turgeman, Beverage Director at Bouillon Marseille in NYC (Serves 5). 

• 1 bottle of a red wine (750ml) (use one you would want to drink on its own) 
• 3 oz brandy
• 5 oz ruby port 
• 100gr brown sugar 
• zest of an orange, then cut it to quarters 
• 1 vanilla bean 

A cheesecloth bouquet with the following: 

• 3 thyme sprigs 
• 3-4 cloves 
• 2 star anise 
• 4 allspice berries 
• 1 cinnamon stick cut in 2 
• a few pink peppercorns 

(Hint: tie the cheesecloth well and bruise content with a heavy pot to release essential oils) 

Pour wine into a deep saucepan on medium to high heat. Add cheesecloth bouquet. Add the orange zest, quarters and vanilla bean. Bring to a gentle boil (approximately after 8 min). Lower heat to simmer, add the sugar and stir well to dissolve. Let simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until you can smell the aromatics of the bouquet. Turn off heat and add the brandy and the port. Stir well.  Let sit for additional 10 minutes and then strain into a serving vessel. Pour into your favorite warmed mug and garnish with an herb, citrus slice and a spice of your choice.

Hot Shot

For a mini, warm pick me up, try a bit of liqueur with equal parts hot coffee and cream. This recipe uses Galliano, but you can also try this with a favorite liqueur of choice (it should be a bit sweet to balance out the bitterness of the coffee). You can even use a coffee liqueur for an extra boost. 

Layer the ingredients as listed in a shot glass or another small glass without stirring to give it that creamy layer.