In Search of the
Perfect Hot Toddy
by Sarah Bragaw and Peter Cassell
As we write this, it is 24 degrees outside.
Yesterday, as we were leaving our apartment to go to work, it was 9 degrees. Last weekend, we were covered by nearly a foot of snow. So while winter may not make much of a difference in your life if you live in a warmer spot, where we are winter means deep freeze. And where there's a deep freeze, there's a hot toddy.
Whether you're in a bar with some friends or in front of the fire with your
wife (or husband) the combination of heat and alcohol can indeed work a
little magic and absolutely change the way you are seeing things.
After the first sip, the outside edges of you mouth start to curl up a bit
into smile. Another sip and you start nodding your head and your small smile
begins to beam. By the third, you're starting to think that having a hot toddy was a
pretty damn good idea.
A good hot toddy will warm your body and loosen your spirit. Some will do a little more loosening than others, and some will taste a whole world better than others. There are few things that will cause you to make a face quite as sour as the one you will make after drinking something foul. The only thing worse than drinking something foul is to have it be foul, and warm.
So now you have to find someone to make you one. A good one. And every bartender you speak to will have their own special recipe, their own special way to make an old favorite, and they love to show off.
Now I'm not much of a hot toddy type of person. I enjoy a glass of Port or a
little Bourbon. Sarah, on the other hand gets a kick out of tasting things
that are hot. When she gets a good one, she gets a little scrunch in her neck,
turns quickly to me and says "Oooh. That's good!" Then she'll talk about things like
balance and sweetness, and acidity. Me, I say things like, "Hey, that's good
coffee." or, "Nope, not for me...." Not very technical.
So in the name of research and mixology (a greatly misunderstood science),
Sarah and I, but mostly Sarah, set out to find the secret of the elusive
"perfect" hot toddy.
If you're looking for the best you should probably talk to the best, which brought Sarah up to NYC's famed, The Rainbow Room. It is here that the most famous, and allegedly the best, bartender in all the land holds court on a daily basis.
Dale DeGroff is the man at the Rainbow Room. From his spot behind the bar he concocts drinks of all kinds. Hot or cold. Alcoholic or non-alcoholic. Straight up or on the rocks. Not sure what you want? Let Dale whip something up for you. All you have to do is tell him what color you want it to be -- because drinks can be made in assorted colors, of course.
