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 More than just a collection of delicious cocktail recipes, this book is also a look at the wacky and outdated liquor laws still in place across America.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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I have to laugh. My friend and I are Utah natives and we were talking about the Zion Curtain when we were at a restaurant a week ago. I am pretty sure it only applies to restaurants and it’s to block kids from seeing the bar. Stupid law but they are making progress. I think there is a bill floating around to allow alcohol (wine & spirits?) in grocery stores. Currently you can only buy beer and other lower alcohol content beverages. Sucks on Sundays when I don’t have red wine and want to cook with it, the liquor store is closed. Cheers!
The first time I had a hot toddy was when I was young and ill. My father made it. I only choked it down because he said it would make me feel better.
This hot toddy is 180° opposite.
It is delicious. A perfect balance of all of the ingredients. (I made mine with Kilbeggan Irish Whisky)
Be sure to use the garnishes. (the Star Anise and Cinnomon stick can be used repeatedly)
Hi Jenn. Made this today as the day was gray, cold and raw. It was delicious! Absolutely loved it. The flavors all just blended perfectly. The only ingredient I did not have was the anise stars. Where can you purchase these? I will definitely be making this again.
Cindy Farrell.
So glad you liked it! I’m able to find star anise in the spice aisle at my grocery store. If you can’t find them in your local supermarket, you could always order them online. I see several options on Amazon.
Hi Jenn. As always, I love your website & cookbooks. Have you everheard of a book called The Drunken Botanist? It’s an interesting book on the origins of liquors, cocktails, bitters, etc. And it has recipes. 🙂
https://www.amystewart.com/books/drunkenbotanist/
Hi Mary, thanks for your nice words about the recipes and support of the cookbooks! No, I’ve never heard of that book but I’m intrigued — I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for the suggestion!
A Hot Toddy cures everything. This is by far the best hot toddy recipe! We used Irish Whiskey (when we ran out of bourbon) and it was just as delicious.
Delicious! I made this when I was feeling under the weather, definitely soothed my throat and a great comfort. I have made this many times since
Excellent for those cold winter nights! For a sweet twist, substituted the bourbon with Southern Comfort.
These are great to have when a cold is coming on. The best part is after you have several of them you don’t care if the cold is coming on or not. Ha!
This is delish! I also spice it up and replace the hot water with hot tea when I feel fancy 😉
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Amazing drink! Honestly the best thing you could wish for on a cold night. Personally, I like it with a bit more honey than the recipe calls for, but otherwise good proportions!