Knee High Stocking Co.’s hot toddyAt its most basic, a hot toddy is either whiskey or brandy, hot water, lemon, and honey. Despite its simplicity, its construction is a delicate art, and some people manage it–the basic combination, or the addition of accoutrements without dishonoring its noble simplcity–better than others.A good hot toddy, though, can brighten the worst of days. It can be your best friend during a cold. It’s the one beverage that can comfort you when you’re out on the town but really just want to go to bed. And for the most part you can get a hot toddy and expect not to be bombarded with sickly-sweet mixers (with the exception of a few bars that use sour mix. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?). Here are five of the best. Everyone has different toddy needs, so these are in no particular order.Delicatus: For the toddy newbie. Their no-frills approach may not seem exciting, but it is meticulous and dedicated, a perfect blend of the basics. The glass is prewarmed. No presliced lemon is half-assedly mashed into the glass–it’s freshly sliced and squeezed in a metal juicer behind the bar. Everything is well-mixed before a healthy amount of Jameson is added, resulting in a startlingly smooth hot toddy in which no one ingredient takes charge. Many bars aspire to a basic hot toddy this smooth; few accomplish it.Bathtub Gin: Also one for simplicity, Bathtub Gin doesn’t stray far from the formula, though the honey is the same lavender-infused variety used in some of their seasonal cocktails, in the same tradition as the rosemary honey they featured back in September. Both lavender and rosemary are traditionally relaxing herbs; grab one of these after a rough day. A hot toddy is much better-tasting than a candle.Knee High Stocking Co.: A cozy little bar full of comfort food (mac and cheese! Tater tots!), the Knee High is a natural choice for a hot toddy. Aware of the drink’s amazing potential and versatility, the most recent one I was served was half bourbon and half brandy, with fresh-grated nutmeg, cloves, agave, lemon, and a single orange round floated on top, served in a snifter. This was marvelous, and sipping it through the orange was a nice touch.Hazlewood’s hot toddy with its adorable sweater on.Hazlewood: Sometimes the right bartender can play with the toddy format–as at Hazlewood, where they add their house-made pimento dram, an allspice rum. Since the bar is always ready to charm the pants off you, it even comes complete with a little sweater–a knitted drink sleeve. At some point mine said something, but it was too stretched out from crawling up pint glasses all day for me to make out anything but the letters “H” and “T.”Environment-wise, Hazlewood is the perfect spot for a hot toddy. A tiny bar hidden from the rest of an increasingly aggressive Ballard bar crowd, it’s full of little spots to park yourself while you read a book and sip something warm.5 Point Cafe: For the purist. Frustrated with hot toddy flourishes? Do people put too much damn honey and/or lemon in them? The 5 Point is sick of you being sick of it, which is why they bring you well whiskey and hot water with honey and lemon on the side. It’s quick-‘n’-dirty and gets the job done whether the job is getting you drunk or stopping a sore throat in its tracks, in the exact portions you want. No muss, no fuss.