M aking up for the lack of toddy—a sweet, lightly fermented drink made from coconut or palm sap—(licence issues), Mathew has worked to bring the communal, warm spirit of toddy shops to New York.

Down south, in God’s Own Country, every evening the streets smell of freshly brewed toddy—an alcoholic beverage brewed from coconut palm sap—and of spices and fresh seafood. While toddy ...