One Drink, Five Ways: The hot toddy

Five bars' interpretations of the classic winter warmer

Welcome to the monthly feature in which we investigate (and rate) the way one cocktail varies from bar to bar (to bar to bar to bar). Up this month: The Hot Cocktail.

No amount of furry lumberjack hats and facial scruff can protect against this full-throttle Arctic assault on New York City, but thankfully there's one sure-fire cold cure: booze. By the bucket. And although we don't hate slugging Old Granddad like an ancient Bowery bum, we prefer the fingers- and belly-warming bliss of hot toddies (booze plus warm water), steaming spiked ciders and rich buttered rums. While Old Man Winter won't vanish for months, we can at least make the icy season tolerable with this hot drink, done five tasty ways. —Joshua M. Bernstein

Pictured: The Hot Toddy at Shoolbred's