madcity girl

It’s been my experience that a good hot toddy recipe is hard to come by. Luckily, I stumbled upon the following recipe for Spiced Brandy Wine last winter in Martha Stewart Living. I used the recipe to make hot toddies for the Dailymile Holiday Lights Run social both this year and last. It’s the perfect way to warm up after a chilly winter run or other outdoor activity.

This year I made a few changes to the original recipe—first, and most importantly, I quadrupled the recipe. I hadn’t paid particular attention to the serving size last year, and as it turned out, four servings wasn’t nearly enough for the Dailymile crew. This year’s batch was enough for ten thirsty runners and a few leftover cups for me to enjoy later in the week. I also simmered the ingredients for much longer this time—probably an hour on the stove at a low temperature, and then steeped for a few additional hours. And since I mixed it all together the night before the party, the flavors had more time to meld together in the refrigerator. At some point I took out the cloves and star anise, but left in the cinnamon and lemon peels until just before serving. I really liked the intensity of the flavors this time. And the final change I made was to serve each drink with a fresh cinnamon stick, as opposed to a lemon-zest strip. It’s the perfect Apres-run treat.

Spiced Brandy Wine (recipe from Martha Stewart Living; makes 4)

Bring red wine, brandy, sugar, cloves, lemon zest, cinnamon sticks, and star anise to a simmer in a saucepan, covered, over high heat.

Remove from heat; steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve. Ladle into 4 mugs; garnish with fresh lemon-zest strips.

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