Brandy Hot Toddy

The Brandy Toddy has a warm flavor with hints of cinnamon and apple! It’s the perfect hot drink for cold weather.

Fancy a warming brandy drink? try it Hot Brandy Toddy! This twist on the classic hot toddy is especially delicious, with the fruity-sweet flavor of apple cinnamon brandy. Adding hot water opens up the flavor of the liqueur, allowing you to enjoy the complexity of each sip. Use whatever type of cognac you have on hand and wrap your hands around the hot mug for an ideal cozy drink.

Ingredients in a cognac grog

The hot todd is a mixed drink made from alcohol, hot water and honey. It has a long history: it was drunk in Britain as early as the 1780s and probably originated in India. By the mid-19th century, it had spread across the ocean: Americans prescribed it as a remedy for colds.

The original British toddy, like Scotch, was made with whiskey. After it spread across America, Americans began drinking it with whatever liquor they had access to: rum or brandy. So you can imagine that early Americans drank it to warm themselves around a fire or to cure various diseases. Here are the ingredients you need to make a Hot Cognac Toddy:

• brandy of any kind
• maple syrup or honey: We prefer the maple syrup flavor
• Hot water
• For garnish: apple wedges and cinnamon stick

types of brandy

For a Brandy Hot Toddy, you can use any brandy you have on hand. It’s a casual drink, so save your premium cognac for something more sophisticated (a Brandy Manhattan or a Sidecar, maybe?). Here are some types of brandy to consider:

• American cognacany type of brandy from the USA: We used Korbel Brandy (also excellent in a Wisconsin Old Fashioned)
• cognaca French brandy with a spicy, fruity and bitter taste, with hints of vanilla and oak
• Armagnaca fuller, richer French brandy with notes of dark caramel, chocolate and burnt orange
• Calvadosan apple or pear brandy made in France
• Jerez brandySpanish brandy with a dry and creamy taste, with caramel, almond and vanilla notes

Pisco is also a type of brandy: it’s Peruvian and has a very different flavor profile. Save that for a classic pisco sour!

How to Make a Brandy Hot Toddy

To make a brandy toddy, simply mix brandy, maple syrup, and hot water. For this variation, we added apple wedges and a cinnamon stick as garnishes. The apple flavor really pops and adds a nice fruity complexity. Here’s what to do:

• To mix together: In a serving glass, mix 3 tablespoons of rum with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or honey. Maple syrup works well here for flavor, but you can use honey if you prefer.
• Put the apples in the glass. This way a nice apple flavor will come out when you pour the water over it.
• Add hot water: Pour ½ cup hot water.
• Garnish: Add a cinnamon stick if you like.

Do it for a crowd

Want to make this Brandy Hot Toddy for a crowd? You can do that too. Simply simmer the ingredients on the stovetop 8 times until hot, but don’t boil. Then garnish as described above. It’s an easy way to serve it up when entertaining.

More toddy recipes

There are several ways to prepare a grog! Here are some of our favorites to try: