You know what will truly provide warmth this holiday season? Kindness, benevolence, love, and empathy for the human race. Just kidding, it’s booze. So let’s just get toasty and forget all this shit, if just for a fleeting moment, and drown ourselves in hot toddies. Danny Shapiro, a partner and beverage director at Chicago’s Scofflaw Group, stopped by The A.V. Club studios (on the coldest day of the year so far) to teach us how to make three versions of the venerable hot toddy. Step-by-step instructions are in the clip above; see the recipes below. Hot toddy 1.5 oz. Old Tom gin (we use Scofflaw gin) 0.75 oz. honey syrup 0.75 oz. lemon juice lemon peel Tiki toddy 0.75 oz. aged rum (we used Duquesne Eleve Sous Bois) 0.75 oz. falernum 0.75 oz. lemon juice 0.75 oz. honey syrup grapefruit peel Cynar toddy 1.5 oz. rye whiskey (we used High West Double Rye) 0.5 oz. Cynar 0.5 oz. lemon juice 0.5 oz. honey syrup orange peel For all three, combine ingredients in mug, add 6 oz. of very hot water and stir. Spritz the toddy with a squeeze of the peel over the drink. Notes: Honey syrup is 1:1 honey-to-hot water. Juice is freshly squeezed and strained to remove excess pulp and seeds.
