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Cocktail History
The Old Fashioned Hot Toddy is a fall cocktail that was created by author Jassy Davis and was first published in her book Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter. It’s a version of the iconic Old Fashioned that uses the classic’s template of whiskey, a sweetener, and citrus, but it calls for a honey syrup in place of simple syrup and warms up the ingredients using hot water instead of ice.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Bourbon: This is the base spirit. It’s a type of American whiskey typically made with corn. We used Hatch Distilling Company Straight Bourbon Whiskey. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic American Malt in place of the bourbon.
Honey Syrup: This is a sweetener made with honey and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s simple recipe.
Angostura Aromatic Bitters: This is a type of spirit infused with botanicals. They add more spice and complexity to the drink and tie the other flavors together. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the bitters.
Barrel-Aged Bitters: This is a type of spirit infused with botanicals and aged in whiskey barrels. We used Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the bitters.
Water: This is heated and added to the glass with the other ingredients to stretch out the spirits. We used filtered water.
Orange Slice: This is the garnish. It adds fresh orange aroma and flavor.
Tasting Notes
The Old Fashioned Hot Toddy has aromas of orange and honey and a flavor that features the hot alcohol combined with warm, sweet honey and a lingering spice on the finish.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Similar to our feelings toward the classic Old Fashioned, Alex really enjoyed this, while Kendall was a little lukewarm on it. We did both agree that serving it hot added a lot of new complexity and interesting notes to it that make it worth trying at least once.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This version of the Old Fashioned has all of the hallmarks of the original, but the delivery weakened with hot water in lieu of diluting it with ice gives it an entirely different feeling. The effervescence of the spirit is front and center while the honey’s sweetness is amplified by the heat, and the bitters add an extra kick to the aroma. I definitely enjoyed this drink overall; while I feel it falls pretty far and away from the classic toddy, it is a delicious mixture worthy of its place on a bar.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“Although I do recognize its merits, I’m not a big fan of the classic Old Fashioned yet. I take a sip of one of Alex’s every so often and most of the time find the whiskey to be a bit too strong for my taste. This version stretched with hot water is a delight, however. I think it could’ve benefitted from one other interesting flavor for more complexity, but I enjoyed it as is too. Anyone who loves the iconic classic is likely to like this hot cocktail.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter by Jassy Davis.
Add water to a saucepan and heat until boiling.
Add bourbon, honey syrup, and bitters to an Irish coffee mug.
Stir for 3-5 seconds.
Top with hot water.
Garnish with orange slice.
Ingredients
Directions
Add water to a saucepan and heat until boiling.
Add bourbon, honey syrup, and bitters to an Irish coffee mug.
Stir for 3-5 seconds.
Top with hot water.
Garnish with orange slice.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic American Malt in place of the bourbon and All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the bitters to try a booze-free version of this drink.
Tools & Glassware We Recommend
More Hot Cocktails
If you like this cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Pumpkin Cider: An apply brandy and dark rum cocktail made with apple cider, pumpkin cubes, butter, sugar, whole cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and grated nutmeg
Banana Buttered Rum: A dark rum cocktail made with hot water, banana butter, star anise, and a cinnamon stick
Mocha Rum Toddy: A rum cocktail made with coffee, dark crème de cacao, simple syrup, whipped cream, and cocoa powder
Hot Peppermint Patty: A low-proof cocktail made with milk, white peppermint schnapps, dark crème de cacao, white crème de menthe, cocoa powder, whipped cream, and grated chocolate
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