5 warm drinks bartenders would never order at a bar and what they'd get instead
Alyssa Towns Swantkoski
- Business Insider asked bartenders which hot drinks people should skip this season.
- Spiked hot chocolate is festive, but the flavors usually aren't balanced right.
It's officially time to swap margaritas and piña coladas for more season-appropriate beverages.
However, some classic warm cocktails don't always offer much bang for your buck.
There are already enough ways to waste money in the holiday season, so Business Insider asked bartenders, sommeliers, and bar leads which hot drinks they'd never order — and what to get instead.
Ditch the hot-buttered-rum cocktails.
Bernadette James, a sommelier at Stages at One Washington and The Living Room, told BI that rum enthusiasts should skip hot-buttered-rum cocktails.
The expert said the drink, which typically mixes rum, butter, hot water, a sweetener, and spices, is difficult to make correctly.
"I would instead order an Irish coffee with Bailey's and whipped cream and ask the bartender to substitute a spiced rum for the Irish whiskey," she told BI.
Mulled wine is overhyped.
Stevie Johns, the owner of June Bar Mobile Bartending, said he'd never ask a bartender for a mulled wine.
"Even with a cinnamon stick and some brandy, wine shouldn't be enjoyed warm," he said.
Instead, Johns recommended ordering a hot apple cider with a shot of bourbon as a cozy replacement.
There are better options than a hot toddy.
Jordan Antley, a bartender at Calissa in the Hamptons, told BI he doesn't order hot toddies at a bar.
"The array of ingredients required to execute this cocktail is enough to stress out even the best bartenders," he said.
Although the drink can be made with just whiskey, lemon, and honey, most bars don't stock spices like whole cloves or cinnamon sticks, which make the cocktail much better.
If you're trying to warm up, the bartender recommended ordering a hot whiskey ginger — a simple drink made of whiskey, fresh ginger, hot water, and a lemon slice.
Boozy hot chocolates aren’t always worth it.
Bryce Tomberlin, the general manager and bartender of The Mountaineering Club, told BI that spiked hot chocolate is a risky bar order.
He said that in many cases, the warming drink is much too sweet, leaving the overall flavor unbalanced.
Instead, he'd order an Irish coffee for a similar vibe. The classic drink combines Irish whiskey, hot coffee, sugar, and cream.
Avoid ordering a Tom and Jerry cocktail.
"I don't think I'd ever order a Tom and Jerry unless it was explicitly on the menu," Levi Tyma, the general manager and bartender at Central Park Bar in Chicago, told BI.
The traditional Christmas cocktail is a decadent combination of eggs, milk, spices, and liquor. Like hot-buttered rum, mixing one can be complex.
To spare your bartender the hassle, go for something a little more mainstream, like an Irish coffee or a hot whiskey.
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