If you were to visit, then locals may tell you of Whitby’s Western Lighthouse, which is haunted by the spirit of a tragic lighthouse keeper. That heroic man lost his life on the steep, slippery stairs from the sea as he rushed to reignite the flame on a stormy night. To this day, they say, his ghost can be spotted rushing up the lighthouse steps, just as he did on that fateful night.
It was that tall tale that inspired the amazing team at Whitby Distillery, makers of our exclusive October 2020 Gin of the Month, Whitby Gin The Demeter Edition, to create this warm and delicious white wine cocktail with a delectable mulled syrup at its core. It’s perfect for cold autumn nights and works wonderfully as a special Halloween treat.
The Whitby Lighthouse Toddy
The warmly spiced and citrus-infused mulled syrup at the heart of this cocktail is a beautiful addition to the heated white wine and the juniper, floral and spice tones of Whitby Gin The Demeter Edition. We love serving this cocktail in a teacup on a cold night, holding it close to warm us up, as though we were lighthouse keepers ourselves, high above the sea.
Ingredients
25ml Whitby Gin The Demeter Edition
100ml white wine
15ml mulled syrup
Your choice of spices or citrus fruit from the mulled syrup, to garnish
Method
For the mulled syrup: Add ½ a cinnamon stick, 10 cloves, ½ a star anise, ½ a vanilla pod, the peel of ½ an orange, the peel of 1/3 of a lemon and 300ml water to a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain the liquid, removing the spices and measure the amount in millilitres. Add equal parts caster sugar (e.g. if you have 200ml liquid add 200g sugar). Stir to dissolve the sugar and allow to cool before use. Store in the fridge and use within a month.
Warm up the white wine in a saucepan, making sure it doesn’t boil. Pour into your favourite mug or teacup and add your gin and syrup. Stir gently, garnish and enjoy.
If this hot toddy has whet your appetite then you will also want to give this festive hot toddy recipe a go!
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