As the weather gets colder, the perfect evening drink to warm myself up during this festive season is a Hot Toddy!
For this recipe, you can use whatever whisky you prefer. Your palate = your call. I prefer to make Hot Toddies with Bourbon. For this recipe, I chose New Riff Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottled In Bond. This Bourbon is delicious, and the flavors don't get lost once the other ingredients are mixed in.
Before I jump into the Hot Toddy recipe, I want to tell you a bit about this awesome distillery and their whisky.
New Riff Distilling is a family-owned business that prides itself in quality and it shows. There are no partners, investors, or shareholders so they have the freedom to explore. New Riff started in 2014 and their mission is to be among the world’s greatest small distilleries. New Riff Distilling is committed exclusively to the bottled-in-bond quality standard (more on that later). Their flagship whiskies are all bottled-in-bond standard and they go the extra mile to express their creativity in every style. New Riff is completely transparent when it comes to their production process and it’s available for anyone to see on their website, which I love.
In 1897, the Bottled-in-Bond Act was approved. This meant that if a distillery wanted a bottle to say "Bottled In Bond”, the Bourbon had to be at least four years old at 50% ABV/100 proof along with other rules. Interestingly, at the same time, the anti-saloon league (which was responsible for prohibition that started in 1920) was on the rise.
The transition from selling Bourbon straight from the barrel to bottles was fairly new, and upholding the quality and authenticity of selling genuine Bourbon was part of the Bottled In Bond Act. Back then, there were government agents who held the only key to open the rack houses for aged barrels. This was to control quality and monitor which barrels were going in and out. Counterfeit whiskies were a major issue but the Bottled In Bond Act streamlined the Bourbon industry and paved the way for future growth.
Enter a New Riff on an old tradition. This Kentucky Straight Bourbon’s mash bill is 65% corn, 30% rye, and 5% malted barley. Although the fermentation process (yeast turning sugar into ethanol) is generally completed in 48 hours. The duration of this Kentucky Straight Bourbon’s fermentation is 4 days (96 hours). The fermentation process is one of many key moments where master distillers make their decisions about flavor profiles. The New Riff’s team carefully controls this process to be carried out for longer in order for additional flavors to be created in their stainless steel tanks. I can talk for days about New Riff, but I'm eager to dive into the tasting notes and how to make my version of a Hot Toddy.
New Riff Kentucky Straight Bourbon Bottled In Bond Tasting Notes:
Appearance: Extra rich, unfiltered, deep amber color.
Nose: Butterscotch rounding into fresh oak with hints of vanilla and rye spice.
Taste: Broad, fulsome mouthfeel, leading to a sweeter vanilla accent before a gathering of rye spices (clove, cinnamon, mint, dark berry) into the finish.
Let’s Make A Hot Toddy!
You'll find many recipes online. All are similar but different. Everyone has their perspective on what they want, what they're looking for, and how their taste buds (which have up to 50 sensory cells on each bud) will send information to thier brain. Please explore and experiment with this recipe to find what makes your Hot Toddy special.
Ingredients
Serves 1
5 ounces 95° C Water
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 Lemon Slice
1 Tea Bag (optional)
3/4oz Maple Syrup or Honey
1 ½ oz New Riff Bourbon (or whisky of your choice)
Instructions
Bring a kettle of hot water to 95 degrees Celsius. Why 95° C? I find the sweet spot for drinking something hot is 84° C. Once you add maple syrup and Bourbon, the temperature decreases, and you’ll want to let the flavors mingle for a few minutes. So when you take your first sip, it's approximately at that 84° C range.
Fill a glass mug with the hot water until the glass is nice and hot. Dump and refill with 5 oz. of 95° C water.
Add cinnamon stick, squeeze in a bit of lemon juice from the lemon slice, place the whole slice into your cup, and let steep for 4 minutes.
(Optional) If you are looking to add another dimension of flavor to your hot toddy, add a tea bag during step 3. I've tried Chamomile and Earl Grey. I prefer Earl Grey but feel free to experiment with any tea you like.
Remove the tea bag, and add the sweetener of your choice. Explore the different flabours that Maple Syrup and Honey offer. You may be surprised at how different your cocktails turn out.
Add whiskey. Stir and let it sit for a few minutes.
Enjoy!