With a chill in the air, snow flakes starting to fall and loads of Christmas lights making an appearance, it can only mean one thing. The holidays are upon us and we can all use a spicy, festive drink in hand to warm up and get us through those long shopping and holiday travel hours. Here are the best of the best in Toronto — and we even dug up the actual recipes too, so you can enjoy them in your silk pjs at home. Cheers!
The Cocktail: Hot Buttered Rum by The Forth
Why We Love It: Nothing says the holidays quite like a rich, smooth steaming hot cup of sweet, buttered rum, and The Forth’s pinches of salt and chocolate take this hot toddy over the top.
Where to Get It:
The Forth
629 Danforth Avenue
Toronto, ON
416-465-2629, theforth.ca
Or Make it At Home
The List:
2 oz Bacardi 8yr
3 spoonfuls of roasted chestnut vanilla cream*
Top with hot water, coffee or hot chocolate
Milk froth
Pinch of salt
Pinch of grated chocolate
The Method:
*For roasted chestnut vanilla cream
In a bowl, cream together one stick of softened butter with 200g light brown sugar, 200ml maple syrup, 2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tbsp allspice. Separately, roast and de-shell one cup of chestnuts and blend the soft chestnut flesh with one cup cream, three dashes vanilla essence and one tbsp sugar. Combine butter mixture with chestnut mixture.
Spoon 2 tbsp of the roasted chestnut vanilla cream into a rocks glass. Add Bacardi and mix thoroughly. Top with boiling water, coffee or hot chocolate and stir well again. Froth some milk with an espresso machine to top it off and garnish with pinch of salt and grated chocolate. Serve immediately.
