While the official start of winter may still be a few weeks away, in Bergen County winter-like weather has already set in, and it looks like we can look forward to some months of cold, wet weather–the sort of conditions in which coughs and colds abound. When I find myself falling under the weather, wine ceases to be my beverage of choice, and I usually long for a piping hot cocktail.

There is something so very soothing about drinking a hot cocktail when feeling ill. Perhaps it’s the way that a hot cocktail can make one feel warm from the inside out, or perhaps it’s because a hot cocktail’s alcoholic steam, if only momentarily, can really open up the sinuses. While no cocktail can reduce the severity or duration of a cold or cough, personally, I find that after I’ve finished a hot cocktail, I just don’t mind being sick quite so much.

In preparation for winter’s worst we provide three easy, tasty recipes for classic hot cocktails.

The Hot Toddy

This hot whisky punch, first mixed in Scotland, in its most traditional iteration is a simple mixture of sugar, Scotch whisky, and hot water. Today, the drink is more often made with American whiskey, and most contemporary recipes also include lemon juice and spices. To my taste, the best toddies are still made with Scotch whisky, and in particular I like to make my toddies with a well-balanced single-malt that’s not too peaty, such as Glenlivet or Dalmore.

¼ cup single-malt Scotch

1 lemon

2 tsp. turbinado sugar

4 whole cloves

Nutmeg

½ cup boiling water

Using a very sharp vegetable knife, remove the peel from about ?–? of the lemon (depending on size) being careful not to remove any of the white pith. Place the peels and the sugar in the bottom of a glass or mug, and press briefly with a wooden muddler or the bowl of a wooden spoon. Set the glass aside for about 45 minutes. When you come back you will find that the sugar has drawn out much of the peels’ essential oils. Quarter the lemon, and squeeze into the glass the juice of one quarter. Then add the whisky, cloves, and boiling water, and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. Grate a little nutmeg on top.

The Locomotive

This next recipe is adapted from a recipe found in the world’s first cocktail guide, Jerry Thomas’s 1862 book, How to Mix Drinks or the Bon Vivant’s Companion. This rich and satiny-smooth concoction was likely invented in the early 19th century, at about the same time as the vehicle for which it was named.

½ cup of Bordeaux-style red wine (Yarden’s Mount Hermon Red, Baron Herzog’s Merlot, Recanati’s Merlot, and Benyamina’s Yogev Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot would all be good choices)

1 tbsp. Cointreau

2 tbsp. honey

2 egg yolks, well beaten

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan, and stir until the honey is fully dissolved. Place the saucepan over a low flame and stir continuously until the mixture is about to start simmering. Remove the saucepan from the flame before it actually starts to simmer, and serve immediately.

Hot Buttered Rum

This ever-popular winter warmer was most likely invented in New England, which during the early days of the republic was one of the world’s biggest rum producers. This particular version of the drink is also based on a recipe found in Jerry Thomas’s How to Mix Drinks or the Bon Vivant’s Companion.

¼ cup dark rum (I like to use a pungent, full-bodied Jamaican rum like Smith & Cross, but more commonly available brands, such as Myer’s, will also work well)

½ tsp. whole allspice berries

½ tsp. whole cloves

2 tsp. turbinado sugar

1 tsp. unsalted butter

½ cup boiling water

Put the spices into the glass and crack (not crush) them with a wooden muddler or the bowl of a wooden spoon. Add the sugar and about a quarter of the boiling water and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. Then add the butter, rum, and the rest of the boiling water and stir until the butter has melted.

A note on drinkware: I find it best to prepare hot cocktails in those small, footed, glass mugs known as either London dock glasses or Irish coffee glasses. The clear glass allows one to appreciate the color as well as the flavor of the drink. Earthenware mugs and teacups are also good choices for making hot cocktails.

By Gamliel Kronemer