Let’s face it, Indian summer is officially over. Halloween is firmly in the rearview and the holidays are finally upon us. This means colder weather (snow for many), family gatherings and numerous reasons to warm up with alcohol-fueled hot cocktails. These seven hot cocktails contain many holiday flavors including maple syrup, cider, cinnamon and allspice and come from bars from New York to San Diego. Cheers to warming up (with help from booze) this holiday season!
Between the Bars
From Jsix Restaurant in San Diego
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Pierre Ferrand 1840
- 2.5 oz. hot coffee
- 0.5 oz. maple syrup
- Layer Jerry Thomas Bitters whipped cream
Directions: Combined the Pierre Ferrand 1840 and maple syrup in a tin and stir. Pour the mixture into a coffee mug, add hot coffee and stir. Top with Jerry Thomas Bitters whipped cream and garnish with the shaved cinnamon and nutmeg.
Thomas Jerry Bitters Whipped Cream: In a separate tin, add 2 oz. of whipping cream and 2 hard dashes of bitters. Shake vigorously until thickened and add to top of coffee.
Hot ToddE
From Ça Va Brasserie and Lounge at the InterContinental New York, Times Square
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz. Kraken dark spiced rum
- 1/2 oz. Lemon Juice
- 3 – 4 0z Hot apple cider
Directions: Build in Hot toddy glass. Top off with cinnamon whip cream and honey drizzle
Chest Rub
From Barrelhouse Flat’s in Chicago
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Fernet Branca
- 1 oz Amaro Lucano
- ¾ oz honey syrup
- ½ oz lemon juice
- One dash orange bitters
Directions: Preheat mug, build ingredients. Top with hot water
The Townsend’s Hot Buttered Rum
From The Townsend in Austin, Texas
The Townsend bar staff starts by augmenting the rum with a small pour of armagnac, a slightly more rustic cousin of Cognac, to give our well-aged rum (in this case Mount Gay Extra Old) some lively depth and a little fruit to lighten things up. The “batter” makes an attempt to brighten up the usual rich baking spice of the winter drinks with the addition of a small amount of star anise.
Recipe as follows:
Batter:
- .5 lb unsalted butter
- .5 lb brown sugar
- 4 tsp Spice Blend*
Cream together in stand mixer for a short time (2-3 minutes). When finished, chill the batter until it sets up a little better, then make approximately tablespoon sized quenelles and freeze for safekeeping.
*Spice Blend
- 20 g Cinnamon
- 8 g Clove
- 5 g Star Anise
The Townsend grinds their spices in house. This amount will yield a couple of batches worth of batter.
Drop quenelle of batter into preheated mug then top with:
- 1.5 oz Mount Gay Black Barrel
- .5 oz Cahateau du Tariquet Bas-Armagnac VS
- 3 oz boiling water
Hot Buttered Sazerac
From bartender Mike Jones, Sable Kitchen & Bar in Chicago
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Bulleit Rye
- ½ oz Cinnamon Syrup
- 2 dashes Fee’s Old Fashioned Bitters
- 1 pad Peychaud’s-infused Compound Butter
Directions: Shake all ingredients in a shaker tin. Place the shaker into a tempered glass that has been half filled with hot water. Let mixture sit for 1 to 2 minutes, occasionally stirring gently. Once the contents of the tin are warmed, pour them into a footed mug that has been pre-heated with warm water rinsed with absinthe. Pour 2 to 3 ounces of piping hot water into the mix (enough to fill the glass you are serving in). Give one last stir. Add 1 pad of Peychaud’s compound butter for garnish.
Cityscape Cider
From Bluehound Kitchen in Phoenix
Ingredients:
- 12 oz Boulard Calvados
- 6 cups fresh apple cider
- 8 whole star anise pods
- 2 tsp. whole allspice berries
- 2 tsp. whole cloves
- 1 5-inch cinnamon stick
- 8 white cardamom pods, cracked
- 4 orange wheels, quartered
- 4 lemon wheels, quartered
- 2 ancho chile pods
Directions: Combine all ingredients in saucepan, simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and strain.
Drunken Earl
From Presidio Social Club in San Francisco
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Pepper Rye
- 1 oz Drambuie
- 1 Earl Grey tea bag
Directions: Preheat the mug; add Rye, Drambuie and tea bag, fill with hot water. Serve with a small plate and teaspoon so he guest may remove the tea bag at the table. Served in a footed mug
