HOT TODDY ~ MULLED WINE

so our little corner of the world just got sucker punched with more snow. it's becoming a regular thing around here. so today we're serving up some cocktails {compliments of Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs}. i mean what's better than being stuck at home and enjoying a cocktail in the afternoon. here are some of my favorite recipes from food 52.

Hot ToDDY with Dried CHErrieS AND LIME

This is a classic hot toddy (1 part dark spirit to 3 parts boiling water, sweetened) with a few tweaks. I used rye instead of the typical bourbon or whiskey, raw sugar instead of white, and I slipped in a few dried cherries and some lime zest to scent the drink. It's a revitalizing antidote post-snow-shoveling, or post-holiday-anything. By the time you reach the bottom of the mug, the cherries are plumped up and boozy. 

SERVES 1

• 2-inch-long piece lime zest
• 4 dried cherries
• 1 teaspoon raw sugar
• 2 ounces rye (or other dark spirit)
• 6 ounces boiling water

In a mug, combine the lime zest, dried cherries, and sugar. Add the rye. Pour in the boiling water, and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. Sip and enjoy!

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{1.2. sara shatz}

MULLED WINE WITH PEAR BRANDY

I'm a lightweight when it comes to booze, and I'll be the first to admit that my interpretation of a "hot toddy" is a little loose. My husband loves Glühwein (German/Austrian mulled wine), but he prefers drinking white wine to red, so for this contest I decided to experiment with a white mulled wine, amped up with pear brandy. I infused the wine with cardamom and star anise, which I thought would go nicely with the white wine, as well as the more traditional triumvirate of cinnamon, ginger and cloves. To amplify the pear flavor, I added a slice of Asian pear to each drink as a garnish -- the pear softens slightly as it absorbs the warm booze and makes for a yummy treat once you've sipped the last of the wine.

SERVES 4

• 1 750 ml bottle dry or off-dry white wine (preferably Riesling or Grüner Veltliner)
• 1 piece star anise
• 2 1/4-inch slices fresh ginger
• 3 green cardamom pods
• 3 whole cloves
• 3 to 4 tablespoons honey, or to taste
• 1/4 cup pear brandy (Poire William)
• 1 Asian pear

1. Put the wine in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan with the star anise, ginger, cardamom, cloves and honey (start with 3 tablespoons and adjust later if necessary). Set the pan over medium heat and bring just to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and let the wine mull for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Taste the wine and add more honey if you’d like. Gently reheat the wine until it starts to steam, then turn off the heat and stir in the brandy. Divide among 4 mugs or heatproof glasses, putting a few of the spices in each glass if you’d like, and add a slice of Asian pear. Toddy away!

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trust me, this is the next best thing to sitting on the beach drinking a mojito ~

cheers to snow days!

xx