Get Yer Hot Cocktails!

Hats off to Patricia Gilmore for the suggestion that it´s Time for Toddies!  Just last night inside the warm and cozy confines of Drinking Liberally, my thoughts drifted toward something boozy and hot.  Maybe next Monday we should arrange for something along those lines!

And especially since the weather in Argentina this year is colder than Antartida! ...we really should devote a brainwave or two toward a spirited concoction that warms both heart and hands.

A cursory google reveals a myriad of mirth-makers to melt winter blues ...but I think that this epicurious.com post from 2006 boils it down to the 5 classics.  All other hot cocktails are merely variations.

Why not begin with Patricia's mention of that mother of all winter warmers: the hot toddy.  Just imagine your favorite cocktail ...and replace the ice and mixer with hot water.  Since this drink and the word "toddy" seem to have a Scottish origin, a few drams of Scots' Whisky seems to be indicated.  In general, all toddies have something sweet and something sour, as well.

Battling for 1st place as the best known hot cocktail is hot buttered rum.  Did our colonial ancestors mess around with fey whipped cream in their groggy goodness?  Not a chance.  They went straight for the Budder!  Chef Emeril suggests that you cream all the sugar and spices and butter together, chill the mixture, and then add two tablespoons(!) of it to every 3 ounces of demon rum.  Whew... maybe he should call it hot rummed butter!

Maybe even better known, Irish Coffee, the speedball of hot cocktails is said to be unique in containing all four food groups.  And since there are only four distilleries in the whole of the Emerald Isle, why not splurge for a bit of the poteen.  If you're feeling lazy, just tell your guests that the original recipe simply floats a layer of unbeaten cream on top.

Before you get off on the wrong track, this once famous hot cocktail is where the cartoon gets its name ...not the other way around.  My grandfather was famous for his Tom and Jerry's and this ol' timey crowd pleaser shows its classic roots:  whole eggs, both rum and brandy, lots of spices and a fairly elaborate elaboration.  Pretty damned yummy, though ...if you're willing to go to the trouble.

Maybe the most ancient of all hot cocktails is this variation on mulled wine, the bishop.  Although this version calls for port, the mind wanders toward the fine offerings from Mendoza that are so available to us here in Buenos Aires.  A little fruit, some spice, and a hot, fruity malbec ...this one may be the one I try first!

Stay warm out there, peeps!  Don´t be shy about taking a toddy if you take a chill.