5 Boston bars for a hot toddy crawl

The first cold night in Boston is a reminder that pumpkin beer is not a winter strategy. Order something hot, strong, and made by someone who cares.

These five stops, four with booze and one without, split into two walkable legs. Do both in one night if you like, or treat them as separate evenings and skip the long gap between Kendall and Fort Point.

Start in Davis Square, then cross into Kendall. The walks are short. The drinks get less classic as you go. Batifol is where you should eat something before the toddies add up.

Foundry on Elm is the purist stop. Their Hot Toddy is a clean, balanced classic of bourbon, lemon, honey, and clove. Nothing clever. Just done right.

If someone in your group wants mulled wine or an adult hot chocolate instead, Foundry carries those too, including non-alcoholic versions. Start here at 255 Elm Street in Somerville, then head toward Kendall on the Red Line or a short rideshare.

State Park sits downstairs in One Kendall Square, in the Alexandria Plaza lower level. It is the dive bar with the toddy nobody expects.

The Hot Hibiscus Toddy mixes apple brandy and Bénédictine with pomegranate, hibiscus, ginger, and lemon, served steaming. Tart, bright, and stronger than it looks. This is the drink that turns the crawl from classic to interesting.

Five minutes away at 291 Third Street, Batifol is full Paris brasserie mood. Order La Folie Douce, a hot drink of whiskey and Drambuie with maple syrup, lemon, and orange juice. It is a toddy in everything but name.

Stay for the onion soup. If you want a second winter warmer, Batifol also pours L’Après Ski, a hot red-wine drink with brandy, citrus, apple, and spice. Five toddies is not a dinner. Eat here before you keep going.

The second leg sits on the other side of the river. Uber the gap, or save it for another night. Matria is the pause for anyone skipping alcohol. The Envoy rooftop is the finale once the winter igloos are up.

Matria, inside the InterContinental Boston at 510 Atlantic Avenue, is the non-alcoholic pick. The Twilight Toddy has no booze at all. It is built on lemon and honey with chamomile and cinnamon.

Bring the friend who is not drinking, or take a break mid-crawl. The room looks out over the waterfront, which helps when the first leg has already done its work. No hangover from this round. From here, the walk to the Seaport is short.

Rooftop at The Envoy is the finale, but time it for winter, when the heated igloos go up seven floors above the harbor at 70 Sleeper Street. Igloo seats are reserved, usually for small groups of about four to eight, and they go quickly on weekends.

The toddy changes with the season’s gin sponsor. Last winter it was the Gin-gle Bell Hot Toddy made with Empress 1908 Gin. Book an igloo if you can. If not, the rooftop bar still runs walk-up seating when it is open. End the night here.

Two legs, two nights works cleanly. One night works if you Uber between Kendall and Fort Point.

Go on a weeknight. Igloos and prime seats disappear on weekends.

Eat at Batifol. Confirm the current toddy names before you go. Seasonal menus move around, and the Envoy drink in particular changes with the sponsor. If the fire, the igloo, or a specific drink is the whole point, call ahead the day you go.