I don’t want to jinx anything, but I think our colder weather days may be wrapping up here in the Midwest. While the last of sweater weather is with us, I thought I’d sneak in a cozy recipe while I still can! Something you guys should know about me is that I consider myself a bit of a cocktail connoisseur. There is nothing that excites me more than a good craft cocktail menu and often on weekends-in Dillon and I will spend our nights mixing up our own creations. After a ton of winter experimentation, I will say that Hot Toddies are for sure my favorite warm-up drink. There’s something about the subtle burn of the bourbon and soothing effect of the honey and lemon that just feels so homey and relaxing to me. I’m all about mixing things up a bit, but Hot Toddies are one of those cocktails that I think shouldn’t stray too far away from the original. When I see something with an intense flavor like a “Pomegranate Hot Toddy” or “Blood Orange Hot Toddy” I’m kind of just like… you’re doin’ too much. Adding some ginger and pear to the mix is an easy way to give this classic a little complexity while still keeping the flavor profile on the mellow side. Let’s make it happen!
GINGER AND PEAR HOT TODDY- SERVES TWO
2 Lemons
½ of a Ginger Root
1 Bartlett Pear
1 Anjou Pear
4 Cups Water
4 Ounces Bourbon ( I love Bulleit for this)
2 Tablespoons Honey
2 Cinnamon Sticks
Cloves
First, slice your Bartlett pear, one lemon, and about half of the ginger root into small chunks. (You’ll use the second lemon and Anjou pear later for garnish, so you can slice these into thin slices at this point if you’d like).
Next, bring the water to a rolling boil on your stovetop. While you wait, you can muddle the lemon, Bartlett pear, and ginger. When the water starts to boil, remove it from heat and pour over your muddled ingredients. Let soak for about 5 minutes. Next, strain the pear-lemon-water mixture and set aside.
NOTE: I found that my french press works perfect for this! Don’t even get me started on my french press guys, I could gush over it for days. Handiest. Tool. Ever. You can buy the same one here. I muddled the ingredients in the bottom, poured the hot water over them, and then used it as normal to strain and pour. But if you don’t have a french press, no worries! Combining ingredients in a glass and using a mesh strainer will totally do the trick!
Next, coat the inside of each glass with a tablespoon of honey and pour 2 ounces of bourbon into the bottom of each.
Top each drink off with a half a cup of your pear-lemon-water mixture. Then stir them up with some cinnamon sticks and garnish each with a clove-lemon wedge and some thin Anjou pear slices. Voila!
Just a couple of notes:
- You may not be as particular as I am, but I personally think serving these in a traditional Hot Toddy glass is kind of a big deal. Plus, I picked mine up from the Dollar Store! So you can totally serve some classy cocktails to your guests without breaking the bank.
- You can definitely substitute the bourbon for brandy or rum if that’s more your style. I just think the bourbon PEARS best with the flavors here 😉 (had to do it).
- These are soo good for when you’re feeling under the weather. Any time I have a cold, this cocktail is my go to remedy. Lemon, bourbon and sleep will have you feelin’ better in no time.
That’s a wrap! Post your drink on insta and hashtag #347Cheers so that I can follow along!
Maybe even post a glass clinking Boomerang? Never seen that one before… (SO guilty over here).
Comment below letting me know your favorite cold weather drink, I’d love to hear them!
Xo Amanda