How to make the perfect Hot Cocktail

As the nights draw and temperatures drop, many turn to hot cocktails for some brief respite from the chill winter air.

We enlist the help of an expert panel to shed some light on how to make the perfect Hot Cocktail

While warm boozy concoctions such as the Hot Toddy, mulled apple cider and spiked Irish coffee have long been staple features on cocktail bar menus the world over, the category has seen extensive innovation over recent years.

Hot cocktails have now moved on from these comforting classics which often mask a cheap and unpleasant alcoholic base, and now provide an ideal platform to showcase quality spirits and imaginative serves.

Yet while cocktail tastes have become increasingly more sophisticated over the years, hot cocktails have kept two unwavering functions: to warm your cockles and sooth your winter blues.

And so, as we get cozy next to an open fire, spiked hot beverage in hand, a panel of expert judges shed a little more light on this seasonal category.

Vincenzo Sibilia, head mixologist at Barts, London, Charlie Ainsbury, bar manager at Eau de Vie, Sydney, and Andy Wren, bar manager at 1806, Melbourne, offer some insight on how to make the perfect hot cocktail in three handy sections – Recipe For Disaster, What To Remember, and How To Impress.

This feature has been adapted from The Spirits Business’ Cocktail Catwalk, sponsored by Caorunn.

Recipe For Disaster

VS: It is difficult to think of one specific ingredient that I would never use to create a hot cocktail, but, if I had to advise against something, I would suggest trying to avoid using any summary ingredients, such as refreshing flavours like cucumber, melon or strawberries. This is because, as previously mentioned, I think that to be truly warming, the drink must take on a wintery identity, with the appropriate wintery flavours and garnish.

CA: Steer clear of lighter spirits as they don’t work as well hot as they do cold and avoid fresh herbs. Teas are fine but the smell of burnt mint and basil is not a pleasant one, especially if you combine with dairy. Just a bit of common sense should clear you in the right direction.

AW: Something delicate or effervescent like champagne would probably be destroyed with the application of heat, so I would definitely avoid using those ingredients.

What To Remember

VS: The principal function of a hot cocktail is that it needs to warm you up in the winter. So, taking this into consideration, I would say that what makes good a hot cocktail is the choice of spirit used. I think warming, full bodied spirits, such as rum, whisky and brandy therefore work best.

CA: For a hot cocktail, I would advise using darker spirits such as Rum, Whisky, Brandy or Tequila even and don’t forget about different types of sweeteners which can replace sugar. Brown, Muscovado or Coconut Sugar are welcome additions, as well as sweet liqueurs or fortified wines; Pedro Ximenez Sherry, Apricot Brandy, Grand Marnier are just a few examples.

AW: So I guess you go back to the question of what makes all cocktails taste good. The best drinks tend to be those built with great balance, solid body and delicious flavours. Cold drinks tend to be described using adjectives such as refreshing and fresh. A great hot cocktail could be described as soothing if you went down a toddy style drink. Recipes such as the whisky toddy, which is made up using whisky, citrus sugar and spice, would be an example of this. There is also a technique called blazing. This is a dangerous mix of high abv booze (classically whisky), sugar, bitters and fire. The flaming drink is caramelised and enriched. When executed well, it will also add theatre to the drinking experience.

How To Impress

VS: Like when trying to make the best of anything, if you really want your drink to stand apart from the others, you must always try to source the most original ingredient that you have not seen used elsewhere, something unusual and unique, and then find a combination of other flavours and spirits that work well with this – even if it originally seems an unlikely pairing. At Barts, we strive to ensure all of our drinks are quirky and original like this. For example, our ‘Gone Fishin” cocktail, (a type of poncho made with Jack Daniel’s single barrel, smoked salmon and angostura bitters), sounds weird, but when made properly, set alight and heated carefully over steam, the finishing result is both unusual and delicious and actually very popular with our customers.

CA: The best advice I could give is to follow a basic formula and swap ingredients until you find your perfect match. The preferred mix at Eau de Vie is 50ml of Spirit; 2 teaspoons of sweetner; 2 dashes of bitters or spices of some sort (such as Star Anise, Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg) and 90ml of either hot water, milk, cream or tea.

AW: I think the most magnificent hot cocktail ever made is a drink called the Lord Ruthven’s Gossip Cup. It was created in the early 1800’s and uses a base of cognac, dark beer and is livened up with the introduction of fresh ginger juice and lemon peel. A surprising and very tasty result!