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Cocktail History
The Old Fashioned Hot Toddy is an autumn 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 this variation calls for a honey syrup in place of simple syrup and warms up the ingredients using hot water in lieu of ice.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Bourbon: This is a type of whiskey made in the United States with at least 51% corn, grains, malted barley, and water. We used Hatch Distilling Company Straight Bourbon Whiskey because it has a delicious classic whiskey spice. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Spiritless Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon Whiskey in place of the whiskey.
Honey Syrup: This is a sweetener made with honey and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s simple recipe.
Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Aromatic Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters.
Barrel-Aged Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol and aged in whiskey barrels. We used Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters.
Water: This is a colorless liquid that warms and stretches the recipe. We used hot filtered water.
Orange Slice: This a slice of an orange that has been cut into a half wheel shape.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Saucepan: This is used to warm the ingredients. We used the Cuisinart 3-Quart Stainless Steel Saucepan with Cover.
Ladle: This is used to transfer the drink to cups. We used the OXO Good Grips Silicone Everyday Ladle.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. We used one from the Prodyne Stainless Steel & Pewter Cocktail Pick Set.
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, aromatic bitters, and barrel-aged 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, aromatic bitters, and barrel-aged bitters to an Irish coffee mug.
Stir for 3-5 seconds.
Top with hot water.
Garnish with orange slice.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Spiritless Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon Whiskey in place of the whiskey and All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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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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