Cold, and only cold
Toddy is served chilled, never at room temperature. Keep it in the fridge from the moment it arrives and pour it straight from there. Warm toddy turns sharp and sour quickly.
Shake or don’t shake
The sediment settles. Some drinkers roll the bottle gently to bring the cloudiness back through; others pour clear off the top. Both are correct — it is a matter of preference, and worth telling your customers.
Glassware
Traditionally it is drunk from a clay pot or a plain tumbler. A short tumbler works well. Avoid stemmed glassware — it warms in the hand.
What to eat with it
Toddy sits naturally alongside South Indian and Sri Lankan food: fried fish, devilled dishes, mutton curry, kothu roti. Its sourness cuts chilli and fat, which is why it was drunk with heavy food in the first place.
Behind the bar
Bars in Singapore are using toddy as a base and as a lengthener — in place of a dry cider or a sour beer, or alongside arrack in a long drink. Its low ABV and natural acidity make it useful in a spritz or a highball where a spirit would be too heavy.
If you run a bar or restaurant and want to trial it, we can send a sample.