Well Christmas and New Year have come and gone, but judging by the temperature and weather outside, we’re still in the throws of winter! It seems that in every bar I walk into at these days someone is sipping either a mulled drink or some incarnation of a Hot Toddy. On a cold winters’ day there are few things more rewarding than a well-made, hot alcoholic drink.
It seems that few bartenders actually know what a Hot Toddy is, and when asked for one, serve something that’s a cross between a Blazer and a Skin, but that’s just fine with me as long as they get the balance of ingredients right. You see the Toddy is the simplest of drinks, comprising hot water, your alcohol of choice and sugar; a Skin is similar but with the addition of citrus peel, and a Blazer is in essence a Skin that has been ignited and thrown from one cup to another.