World Hot Toddy Day is almost upon us (11th Jan) and we, for one, are relieved! Winter is in full swing, the fireplaces are lit and hot drinks are a daily requirement.The Hot Toddy, also known as a hot whisky in Scotland, is traditionally a mixed drink made of some kind of liquor, water, with a sweetener (like honey) and maybe some herbs and spices. Drunk in wet or cold weather, or before retiring to bed, the Hot Toddy was commonly believed to relieve symptoms of cold and flu. Whisky and honey are often recommended for the cold and flu so the humble Hot Toddy could be better for you than you think!
A Hot Toddy can be enjoyed in almost any receptacle, although something that absorbs the heat might just be the winner here, this is where the lovely range of Beaumont TM Moscow Mule mugs come in – although the mugs can get quite hot if your pouring in boiling liquids so be careful!
A well conceived winter cocktail can be impossible to pass up on a chilly day, especially with a heady aroma of sweet spices filling the air and a warm copper-plated Moscow Mule mug giving off steam on the bar. You don’t need to be in a ski lodge or reclining in a Chesterfield propped by the fire at a local pub to enjoy a fortifying winter potion, all you need is a few recipes, the correct cocktail tools, and a bit of a know how…
Glassware is usually best avoided for Hot Winter toddies; firstly because they don’t imbue that warm and cosy feeling that should accompany any Hot Toddy and secondly, because over time glassware will weaken and as a result when exposed to extreme temperatures – can crack and fail. If a glass has recently been used with ice in it, washed out and re-purposed for a Hot Toddy, chances are that glass will crack – so be careful bartenders!
Moscow Mule mugs work perfectly as stand alone Winter barware, perfect for all manner of drinks, hot or cold. We take pleasure in wrapping our cold hands around this mug when it is all warmed up with a Winter cocktail! However, also important to almost every Winter toddy is not only the flavours and the aesthetics but also the aromas. Nearly every Winter cocktail will contain a seasonal aroma usually added to the cocktail by the means of a spice – the all time favourites are of course cinnamon and nutmeg.
Speaking of which, all this talk of hot drinks and spices means it’s recipe time. Here is our favourite for Hot Toddy day:
1.Hot Buttered Rum
If it’s one thing we need to give credit to the Americans for, it’s a range of delicious hot winter drinks. One of my favourite indulgent winter treats has to be Hot Buttered Rum – an American invention dating back to colonial times. As the sugar business took off in the Caribbean, New England was flooded with molasses which from the 1650s was quickly turned into rum. America’s first native spirit rum was incorporated into holiday beverages, of which this is one of the most celebrated.
To make the butter:
(serves 8)
1 cup of soft brown sugar
125 grams of room temperature unsalted butter
1 ½ tsp of ground cinnamon (or shaved using our nutmeg grater)
1 tsp of ground allspice
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 pinch of salt
To make the drink:
Boiling water
60ml of Jamaican dark rum per serve
Method:
In a bowl, cream the butter with the sugar and spices. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate. To serve the drink, add two tablespoons of the mixture to a mug with 60ml of dark rum topped with boiling water. Stir and garnish with a little grated nutmeg.
