Try a Hot Chocolate Toddy: the Happy Holidaze

There are many different toddys out there from your basic Hot Toddy to the ever popular Hot Buttered Rum. Then there are many excellent Hot Coffee Cocktails, including the famous Cafe' Brulot Diabolique which is an Antoine's creation of hot spiced coffee set aflame with brandy at your table. So when the New Orleans Modern Drunkards came accross a recipe for a Hot Chocolate Toddy....we knew a tasting was in order.


The recipe is that of the Happy Holidaze, a concoction developed by Abigail Gullo a bartender at Fort Defiance in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York. In Abigail's interview with the New York Times, it was said that this drink was "designed to warm the pipes and buoy the nerves" in order to help Christmas singers announce bodly the coming of Jesus!!

So with that description and the idea of a Hot Chocolate cocktail, who were we to turn down this cocktail testing.


The Happy Holidaze
Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

- 1 cup of Hot Chocolate

- 3/4 oz of Green Chartreuse

- 3/4 oz of Cointreu

- Marshmellows or Whipped Cream***

Preperation:

Add Chartreuse & Cointreau to Hot Chocolate, stir & serve in mug.

Now we give you honest feedbacks and we made several batches. It was an interesting cocktail that definately warmed up our cockles. The Chartreuse often gave us the impression that parts of our Christmas tree had fell into our Hot Chocolate which I suppose was the purpose. It was noted that several people did have the urge to sing from the tingle the Chartreuse gave us. One person also recommended that adding Whipped Cream or Marshmellows would prove we love Jesus.

So try it out and tell us what you think. Have a fun variation on this Hot Chocolate cocktail that you think people will enjoy? Leave a comment below.

***Whipped Cream or Marshmellows are OPTIONAL. The New Orleans Modern Drunkards can not confirm nor deny that Marshmellows nor Whipped Cream will add to this cocktail's flavor nor can we confirm nor deny that it will prove that you love Jesus.

Sauce Spotlight: Creole Shrub

So it's Saturday and we don't have college football to look forward to til the fall. What are we going to do? Well perhaps we can interest you in trying a wonderful Orange Liqueur. For our Saturday Sauce Spotlight, we would like to present Rhum Clement Creole Shrub.

Now with any bar, it is essential to have an Orange Liqueur. Orange liqueur is a great nightcap that can be sipped Neat for that warm sensation on those cold nights or Straight Up to end a day with a relaxing, chilled, flavorful nip. It is also a neccessary ingredient in most drinks like Margaritas, the 57 Chevy, any "Blue" cocktail like a Blue Hawaiin, or Cosmos amoung others. So why not stick to the common Triple Sec, Blue Curacao, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier? Well, you can but Rhum Clement Creole Shrub offers a whole new level of flavor that is unmatched by the others.

As New Orleans Modern Drunkards, we are already fans of Creole Seasonings and Spices that are common place in our great food here in New Orleans. Rhum Clement follows along with the idea of adding great creole spices and bitter orange peels to their Sugar Cane based Rhum made on the Carribbean Island of Martinique. (Rhum is the term used for rums from French-speaking locales).

While drinking it Neat in a small snifter, as we prefer it, you will first notice it's Golden Orange color and thick body that coats a glass like warm honey. It's bouquet is a dark orange fragrance with hints of peppery spices that will surely clear out any sinus issues that you maybe experiencing. However, despite the wonderful Creole aroma, it's taste is remarkably smooth with a creamy orange finish that is far better than the common and popular Grand Marnier or Cointreau finish.

We recommend that you lightly sip it if served neat cause the tasting offers a wonderful warming sensation as it rolls down into your belly. You can also add it to your favorite cocktail recipes as a replacement for any Triple Sec or Cointreau like orange Liqueur. Rhum Clement has a fun Variation on the Kir Royal where you mix Champagne with Creole Shrub that we think would be a fun party drink with some bite!

It comes in several varieties: Regular, VSOP, a Premier Cane, Homere', and their X.O. In general, you can find their Regular Creole Shrub and most cocktail bars and restaurants and we highly recommend that you add it to your home bar.

So have you ever tried Creole Shrub? What do you think about it? Do you have a favorite cocktail that you use Creole Shrub in? Let us know what you think by adding a comment below.