December marks the advent of winter: the colder weather and hectic holiday season (plus the threat of a white Christmas) could leave anyone feeling a touch feverish. Whether you’re under the weather literally or figuratively, a well-made cocktail can provide a cure for the seasonal ailments, and darker days call for darker spirits. The barrel-aged Barr Hill Reserve Tom Cat from Vermont’s Caledonia Spirits brings gin to the brown liquor category with an added dose of botanicals (courtesy of some busy bees) to boost your spirits.

It started with the bees. Beekeeper and Caledonia Spirits founder Todd Hardie had, at one point, close to 2,000 hives. In his quest to help the bees earn their keep, he worked raw honey into herbal remedies, like an immune system-supporting elderberry syrup. He then turned to mead; distilling followed and Barr Hill was born. The gin has a soft effect on the palate, thanks to raw honey that’s added after the spirit passes through a custom built-botanical extraction still—as Brand Ambassador Jessyloo Rodrigues says, “keeping the juniper in the gin.”

Back to the bees—the juniper isn’t the only plant with a place in Barr Hill’s bouquet. The season of the year, the flowers that were in bloom and what crops the bees visited can all affect the final flavor profile of the liquor. “I like to say that the honey bees know the secret botanical recipe,” says Rodrigues. She cites flowers like apple blossom, clover, raspberry blossom and goldenrod that find their way, with their medicinal properties, into the Caledonia bottle.

“If Barr Hill Gin is a Vermont meadow,” says Rodrigues, “Barr Hill Reserve Tom Cat is the woods.” Quite literally. To combat the demand craft distilling puts on natural resources, Caledonia has started sustainably harvesting Vermont white oak to make their own barrels. American white oak is what gives the versatile Tom Cat its hints of smoke. It rests for four to six months and emerges from the barrel with woodsy, whiskey-like notes. The Caledonia team concocted the Tom Cat recipe as a modern take on Old Tom gin, a style that’s fuller-bodied and slightly sweeter than a London Dry.

The beauty of the Tom Cat is that it can sub in for gin or bourbon in beverage recipes. “Any drink that you would be potentially adding sugar to,” Rodrigues says, “will use the Tom Cat well.” She recommends an aged gin hot toddy, what she calls the “Hardie Toddy,” to take some of the stress out of the season. The recipe features the Tom Cat with a healthy dose of raw honey, ginger root and lemon. Caledonia’s products make great gifts—a unique add to the liquor cabinet—but, as Rodriques says, “You’re welcome to gift to yourself.” When the winter gets you under the weather, take a minute with the Tom Cat toddy to combat the harried bustle of December days.

Tom Cat Toddy Recipe
Ingredients
2 oz Tom Cat barrel aged gin
4 small shaved pieces of fresh ginger root
4 cloves
1 spoonful of raw honey
1/4 of a fresh lemon, juiced
Hot water

In a mug, place a spoonful of raw honey, squeeze 1/4 of a lemon over top, add shaved ginger and cloves. Pour in Tom Cat and top with hot water. Gently stir to infuse all the flavors. Sip and enjoy.