The Athol Brose ToddyHappy National Hot Toddy Day! Obviously this is one of my favourite made up holidays, and unlike some of the more unfortunately planned ones, happens to fall right when you need a warming beverage the most. This year I decided to try a toddy twist on a classic concoction- The Athol Brose. This traditional Scottish drink is made with scotch, honey, sometimes oatmeal, and sometimes cream. I highly recommend giving it a google- it's pretty interesting! I decided to forego the oatmeal in mine, although I wouldn't be opposed to working it in in future attempts. Instead I opted to infuse the cream with Earl Grey tea, which is what pushes this drink into toddy territory. First warm the cream until just starting to steam. Place teabag in cream and let steep until desired strength. I recommend taking it a hair further than you expect, since there will be other bold flavours in the drink. Return cream to fridge and let fully chill. Place (empty) cocktail shaker into fridge to chill. Make honey syrup by stirring together honey and hot water until fully combined. Just before you are ready to pour and serve, put cream into chilled shaker and shake until fully aerated but not "whipped." Pour honey syrup to taste into glass or mug. Add equal measures of scotch and hot water. Pouring along the edge of the glass, float the cream over the mix. Serve and drink immediately. *My glass was purposefully small, intended to almost be a warm and soothing shot, but equally intended to show off the nature of the float. If the appearance of the drink doesn't matter, I would serve in a warmed mug with an even greater volume of scotch and hot water.* Your first sensation is the smell of the tea, full bodied and bright. Then as you sip you get the incredibly rich, cool, and creamy beginning followed by the sweet, spiky, and warm base. It's the perfect match of opposites. So today, or any day you need helping warming up, give the Athol Brose Toddy a try.
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January 11th is National Hot Toddy Day! Hot Toddies are one of my favourite winter beverages, and it is no mistake that Hot Toddy Day falls right in the middle of National Hot Tea Month. A good tea, a little honey, a little lemon, and a good dose of whiskey come together to make a beverage that is hand-warming and heartwarming. It's perfect for those days when the weather is cold and dreary and the nights are dark and arrive early. There are as many iterations of a Hot Toddy as there are people drinking them. This is the one I make most often, having slowly tweaked the recipe to fit my personal tastes. I'm a sucker for anything with a rich, smokey flavour, so I use a mix of English Breakfast and Lapsang Souchong for my tea base. I recently started using an extra-smokey scotch as the tipple; this makes for a rather campfire-y toddy, which is not for everyone. The balance between the heavy tea, peaty scotch, sweet honey, and sour lemon is exactly my cup of tea, however. Hot Toddy BCTH Style makes 2 toddies 1 heaping teaspoon English Breakfast 1 heaping teaspoon Lapsang Souchong Juice of 1/2 a Lemon + garnish 4 oz Whiskey or Scotch Honey to taste Steep tea with 16oz of boiling water for 5-8 minutes. Pour scotch into pre-warmed glasses or mugs. Add tea. Squeeze juice into glass and finish with desired amount of honey. Serve hot with lemon garnish. Winter is just settling in, so there is still plenty of time to experiment with a toddy recipe of your own. Do you like rum instead of whiskey? Cloves studded into your lemons for an extra punch? Apple slices instead of citrus? Be sure to let me know how you like your toddies in the comments!
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