Cocktails

The Best Cocktails to Drink If You Like a Hot Toddy

And not all of them have to be warm

Warm Hot Toddy with Lemon Bourbon and Spices

The Hot Toddy can open your palate to other winter drinks.

By Christopher Osburn

In the hierarchy of wintry cocktails, it’s difficult to beat the appeal of the timeless Hot Toddy. And making this traditional drink couldn’t be easier — it’s a simple mix of spirit (most often Scotch), hot water or tea, lemon, and honey. It’s the perfect boozy, warm and effortlessly soothing drink for a frigid night. 

“Chilly weather begs for a hot drink in your hand to keep the festivities going,” says Kayla Walker, bartender at Tannahills Tavern in Fort Worth, TX. “Besides being delicious, it’s basically medicinal with tea, lemon and honey. Many hot cocktails entail a good amount of sugar/cream in them, so the Hot Toddy gets bonus points for being soothing without your stomach turning after a few.”

But warm drinks in general have an advantage this time of year. “I think a warm or hot cocktail can really elevate an experience at a bar or dining room,” says Matt McCarthy, bartender and beverage director at Vine Street Café in Shelter Island, NY.  “Snow on the ground and the wind is really cold — there are so many options to help make an evening warmer.” 

5 Great Hot Toddies to Make at Home This Winter
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“A hot drink warms you up, and the spices, taste and smell remind people of home,” adds Aistis Zidanavicius, bartender at Panamericano Bar in Miami.  

So there’s both the Hot Toddy and the appeal of hot drinks. But some drinks deliver a similar flavor profile to the Hot Toddy without the heat. Below, a few of our favorites in both categories, starting with a variation on the classic, courtesy of Zidanavicius. 

Panamericano Hot Toddy

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

Servings: 1

Ingredients
  • 2 oz. Redemption Bourbon
  • 1 oz. 1:1 honey syrup
  • 3 drops vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cinnamon stick
  • 1 fresh lemon slice
  • 3 oz. hot water
Directions

    1. Pour all ingredients into a small pot. Stir 7-8 times with a barspoon.

    2. Serve in a small espresso cup with the rest beside it in the pot. 

Mulled Wine
Hannah Pemberton / Unsplash

Fans of the Hot Toddy will love the warming, boozy flavors of a well-made Mulled Wine. This drink is about as timeless as it gets, with origins in ancient Rome. At its essence, it’s a warm drink featuring red wine, orange slices, honey (or maple syrup), wintry spices and an additional spirit like brandy or whiskey (or any spirit you have on hand). 

Mulled Wine

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

Servings: 8

Ingredients
  • 1 750ml bottle red wine
  • .25 cup of honey or maple syrup
  • 1 orange, sliced into wheels
  • 2-3 cinnamon sticks
  • 2-3 cloves
  • .5 cup of brandy, whiskey or other spirit
Directions

    1. Add the red wine, sweetener, orange wheels, cinnamon sticks, cloves and brandy (or other spirit) to a large saucepan. Stir gently to combine.

    2. Simmer for around 30 minutes to infuse the flavors together.

    3. Strain and serve in large mugs with a cinnamon stick for garnish.

Here’s a mulled wine variation from Matt McCarthy.

Vin Brûlé

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

Servings: 8

Ingredients
  • 1 1500ml bottle (magnum) red wine
  • 1 whole orange, peeled and squeezed
  • 7 oz. apple brandy
  • 5 oz. triple sec
  • 90 grams brown sugar
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 6 cloves
  • 3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
  • 2 star anise pods
  • 10 grams nutmeg
  • .5 tsp. vanilla bean paste
Directions

    1. Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.

    2. Once you reach a boil, immediately drop to a simmer for 15 minutes. Strain.

    3. Serve in a mug with a fresh cinnamon stick and orange slice.

Penicillin
iStock / Getty Images Plus

The Penicillin is obviously not a hot cocktail, but it shares similar flavors with the popular Hot Toddy, and its name is also a reference to its medicinal qualities. The contemporary cocktail is made with blended Scotch, fresh lemon juice, honey-ginger syrup and a float of smoky peated Islay single malt Scotch whisky. It’s already a classic and should keep you warm, even though it’s served cold.

Penicillin

Prep Time: 5 mins

Servings: 1

Ingredients
  • 2 oz. blended Scotch whisky
  • .75 oz. fresh lemon juice
  • .75 oz. honey-ginger syrup
  • Islay single malt Scotch whisky, for the float
  • Candied ginger, for garnish
  • Lemon twist, for garnish
Directions

    1. In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, add the blended Scotch whisky, fresh lemon juice and honey-ginger syrup. Shake vigorously.

    2. Strain into an ice-filled rocks or Old Fashioned glass.

    3. Pour Islay single malt Scotch whisky over the back of a bar spoon as a float.

    4. Garnish with a piece of candied ginger and a lemon twist. 

Popularized in the 1970s, the Godfather is made with Scotch whisky and amaretto, named after the hit mobster film. It’s simple, boozy and warming, even though it’s served on ice. 

Godfather

Prep Time: 5 mins

Servings: 1

Ingredients
  • 2 oz. blended Scotch whisky
  • .75 oz. Amaretto
  • Cocktail cherry, for garnish
  • Orange twist, for garnish
Directions

    1. Add ice to a mixing glass. Pour in the blended Scotch whisky and Amaretto. Stir gently to combine.

    2. Strain into a rocks or Old Fashioned glass with one large ice cube.

    3. Garnish with a cocktail cherry and orange twist. 

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