Naughty Toddy

Let’s Get Blitzen: Cocktail Advent Calendar – Day 8 – Naughty Toddy.

There’s something about a hot toddy that makes you feel like a Victorian heroine who has simply seen too much, in the best way. It’s comfort in a mug, but still a little sexy. Pairs beautifully with fainting couches and footmen.

Naughty Toddy uses white port and Belle de Brillet, pear-Cognac liqueur, for orchard sweetness, then brings in citrus and spice to keep things bright. It’s what you make when you want to be cozy and quietly complex.

Tasting notes

White port is honeyed and light, Belle de Brillet adds pear-brandy silk, lemon and orange lift the whole thing, and vanilla pear syrup tucks it into dessert-adjacent territory without going sticky. The clove-studded pear fan smells like peak holiday kitchen vibes.

Warm your mug first with boiling water, then dump it. It keeps your drink hot longer and stops the toddy from getting that tragic “lukewarm tea” energy halfway through.

Given this is my 7th year producing the cocktail advent calendar, the creative well felt like it was running dry on original winter warmer recipes. I’ve done several variations of mulled wine, mulled cider, various toddies, and so on. I thought to myself, “What about a mulled white wine?!” When I realized I didn’t have any white wine in my house but stumbled across white port, I thought I’d give it a shot. It was a real stroke of luck because I couldn’t be happier with how this turned out.

If this Naughty Toddy has you hot and bothered, check out my other winter warmer recipes:

• Scotch Ginger Toddy
• Chai Hot Toddy
• NeoCitron Vert Hot Toddy

IG Stories tutorial at 5 p.m. Eastern — be there or be square.

Cheers, friends!

Naughty Toddy

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Naughty Toddy

Prep Time

5 mins

Total Time

5 mins

 

Naughty by name, cozy by nature – this toddy is a warm hug for snowy night scheming, where white port and Belle de Brillet bring fresh-picked orchard sweetness, bright citrus keeps it lively, and a clove-studded garnish makes it feel just a little bit wicked.

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: Canadian

Keyword: Let’s Get Blitzen, Liqueur, Port

Servings: 1

Author: Yvonne Langen

Ingredients

• 2 oz white port
• 1 oz Belle de Brillet
• ½ oz orange juice
• ½ of lemon juice
• ¼ oz vanilla pear syrup
• Boiling water to top
• Garnish: clove studded pear fan

Vanilla Pear Syrup

• 2 cups ripe pears roughly chopped
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp vanilla paste or ½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Add boiling water to a heatproof mug to warm.
2. Discard hot water. Add port, Belle de Brillet, syrup, orange & lemon juice to the warmed mug. Stir to combine.
3. Top with boiling water. Stir well.
4. Garnish with a pear fan studded with cloves.

Vanilla Pear Syrup

1. Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to medium low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
2. Fine-strain into an airtight container.