Hot Toddy
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Warm up with this cozy hot toddy recipe—boozy, lemony, and a touch sweet, all brought together with spices for the ultimate comforting drink. Perfect for chilly nights or when you need a little pick-me-up!
A hot toddy is a classic and warming whiskey cocktail infused with honey, lemon, and spices. My grandmother swore by it as a cure-all for colds, insomnia, or whatever ails you. But it’s also just the thing to warm yourself up on a chilly evening.
This hot toddy recipe is adapted from one of my favorite cocktail books, Give Me Liberty and Give Me a Drink! by C. Jarrett Dieterle. More than just a collection of delicious cocktail recipes, this book is also a look at the wacky and outdated liquor laws still in place across America. (Did you know that in Utah, cocktails must be mixed behind a “Zion curtain” that separates the bartender from the patrons and hides the mixing process?) If you’re looking for a fun gift for the cocktail lovers in your life, this book is a great choice—especially paired with a bottle of booze.
“WARM & WONDERFUL! We enjoyed this in December around the holidays…It is perfectly spiced, lemony and delicious by the fire.”
What You’ll Need To Make a Hot Toddy
- Bourbon: A type of whisky, this is the base spirit that gives the hot toddy its warmth and depth. Any good bourbon will work—choose one you enjoy sipping on its own!
- Fresh lemon juice: Adds a bright, refreshing tartness that balances the richness of the bourbon and honey. Always use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Honey: Sweetens the drink and adds a smooth, comforting element. Feel free to adjust the sweetness to your taste.
- Boiling water: Dilutes the mix and helps everything come together. Adjust the amount for a stronger or milder drink.
- Spices (cinnamon stick, cloves, and star anise): These garnishes add warmth and spice.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make a Hot Toddy
Simply combine the bourbon, lemon juice, and honey in a mug and add boiling water. Stir until the honey is dissolved and the ingredients are combined. Garnish with the cinnamon stick, cloves, and star anise pod. Sip, warm up, and enjoy!
Wondering what to serve with hot toddies? They pair wonderfully with a variety of treats. Try them with gingerbread cookies, shortbread, a cheese platter, spiced nuts, or pound cake.
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Hot Toddy
This hot toddy is the perfect whiskey cocktail to warm you up, with a soothing blend of flavors and spices.
Ingredients
- 2 oz (¼ cup) bourbon
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Boiling water, to fill a mug (6 to 8 oz)
- Cinnamon stick for garnish
- 3 to 4 cloves for garnish
- 1 star anise pod for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the bourbon, lemon juice, and honey in a mug and add the boiling water (use more or less, depending on how strong you'd like the drink to be). Stir until the honey is dissolved and the ingredients are well combined, 10 to 15 seconds. Garnish with the cinnamon stick, cloves, and star anise pod.
- Note: When serving, I recommend warming up some heavy mugs by first filling them with boiling water. Once they’re nice and toasty, spill out the water and fill with the cocktail. This will help the drinks maintain their cozy warmth a bit longer.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (1 servings)
- Calories: 207
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Sugar: 18 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Sodium: 1 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Made this hot toddy for an outdoor gathering in December in upstate New York. Just simmered the alcohol and spices inside then took a carafe of the alcohol and a electric hot water kettle outside. Everyone filled up their mug with portion of alcohol and hot water per preference.
The hot toddy was perfect .
Quick to prepare – the perfect warm drink on a cold and dreary day!
Delicious. We made a batch and shared with friends around an outdoor fire pit .
I also printed the recipe and made gift baskets with ingredients for homebound friends to enjoy.
This is the best and easiest drink to make, so soothing on a chilly day or when I have a slight sore throat. Love that it calls for two full ounces of booze, too!
I love a good warm drink when it’s cold outside. This drink was wonderful. I love Hot Toddy’s. I made this for my mom and she even loved it. Thank you for the recipe.
Nothing better than a hot Toddy in the winter! Great recipe
Just perfect for these cold snowy days. The star anise is so pretty too.
WARM & WONDERFUL! This was fabulous as all of Jenn’s recipes are. We enjoyed this in December around the holidays, and I plan to make it again soon. It is perfectly spiced, lemony and delicious by the fire with some appetizers with friends, or after dinner. Really a great recipe for a winter beverage! Thank you Jenn!!!!
Just perfect for these cold snowy days. The star anise is so pretty too.
Really enjoyed this recipe during the first huge storm of the season!! Subbed maple syrup for the vegan in the family and it was wonderful..added an unexpected complexity to the drink.
I like the addition of the cloves and the star anise.