Much as I love it, Irish coffee is passé. Hot toddy is another favourite but today, there is so much more to warm cocktails than just these two. At times, all of us want to enjoy a cocktail served hot — maybe because of the cold weather or if you’re recuperating from a sore throat. Since I recently suffered from the latter, I rediscovered several exciting options.
Hot toddy with whiskey, tart lemon, honey and of course tea are hugely popular. But there are other variations too according to one’s personal preferences. I would say though, don’t waste a good bourbon on a hot toddy. Use apple juice if you don’t want tea as the base. Cardamom, cloves, star anise, peppercorns and a cinnamon stick complete a good toddy for me.
Rum is perhaps the spirit of choice when it comes to creating hot cocktails, especially because it pairs well with warm milk, coffee and other liqueurs. Trader Vic’s classic hot buttered rum will never go out of fashion. It is truly decadent! Apple juice, cranberry juice combined with rum and yes, honey, makes for a great warm drink too — one you should certainly try.
I hear that vodka is being served warm these days, with hibiscus tea, honey, ginger and cinnamon. Vodka compliments flavoured teas, and when apple and cinnamon are combined with it, it makes for a soothing drink, which can be served in a tea pot.
Flavoured vodkas, a mixologist once told me, are ideal for hot cocktails. Vodka infused with peppermint and mixed with hot chocolate is an ideal after-dinner drink. And of course, rum and vodka together, when combined in a cocktail served warm, are the perfect choice. Mix Malibu coconut rum, vodka, cranberry juice, orange juice, pineapple juice and you have a cocktail.
Mulled wine is always on our list. Instead of the usual red, try a white wine for a change. Single malt lovers can opt for a single-malt, honey and lavender extract cocktail. Subtle and aromatic, this is ideal for an evening alone. I was once served whiskey with boiling hot water, brown sugar and a slice of lemon studded with four cloves. Warming indeed!
Those who love sweet drinks will particularly enjoy this one: Bailey’s Irish cream, kahlua, peppermint schnapps, hot chocolate, cream float. Recently, one warm cocktail that floored me was a “Flaming Zombie: I tried at the Silver Beach Café in Mumbai. Dark spiced rum shaken with orange juice and topped with a sugar cube soaked in absinthe and lit over — it was dramatic all right!
Mini is a food writer
