The "Hot Toddy" - a drink for when it is cold and dark outside

Here is how to make the rum cocktail:

Cocktail ingredients for a single serving
- 50ml Swan Knight Distillery golden spiced rum
- 5 Cloves
- 2 teaspoons of demerara sugar (or brown sugar)
- 5ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Half mug of boiling water

Recipe
- Pour half a mug of boiling water into a heat resistant jug
- Add the cloves and allow to rest for 3 minutes
- Next, add the sugar and stir until it is dissolved
- Stir in the lemon juice and rum
- Pour the mixture through a tea strainer into mug

How and when to drink this spiced rum cocktail

This warming cocktail has a beautiful golden hue and is perfect for sipping by the fire while the wind howls outside. It is also ideal for sipping when feeling a little unwell with a cold, as the mix of sugar and lemon soothes the throat nicely. Due to the hot water, it is possible that slightly more sugar may be necessary. A garnish of a lemon wheel works well aesthetically with this rum cocktail.

Inspiration for the cocktail

One origin of the Hot Toddy appears to date from the 1860s and involved a wine glass full of brandy, hot water, grated nutmeg and a little sugar. An alternative story is that Dr Robert Bentley Todd, a Dublin doctor, prescribed it to his patients. His mixture also involved brandy, sugar and hot water but replaced the nutmeg with cinnamon. Whatever the origin of the cocktail, it is clear that the balance of flavour, spices, aroma and most importantly, temperature, run through all of the stories and are what make this cocktail such a success.

We like the Hot Toddy with our golden spiced rum as the vanilla, caramel and spices come through into the drink and provide extra depth of flavour. It is also delicious with honey rather than sugar. Other versions of the Hot Toddy use many different herbs and spices, such as rosemary or orange peel and are often mixed together.