A hot toddy is a warm and comforting alcoholic beverage that's perfect on cold winter nights or for soothing a sore throat. Whiskey, honey, and lemon juice are topped with hot water (or tea) and garnished with a cinnamon stick.
Whether you have a cold or are looking for a cozy and comforting winter drink, the hot toddy is here for you. A hot toddy is a classic, warm, and soothing alcoholic beverage.
Made with whiskey, water (or tea), honey, and lemon juice, a hot toddy is surprisingly simple to make. The best part is that there are many variations to suit your tastes.
Once you've got this recipe down, you can add your own twist to this classic drink. Make a hot toddy any time you're looking for a little comfort or to help sooth a sore throat.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Whiskey - Can be substituted with your favorite bourbon, dark rum, or scotch.
- Hot water - Water can be substituted with hot tea. Black, early grey, or chamomile are great options.
- Honey - Honey is one of the base ingredients. If you don't have honey on hand, it could be substituted with maple syrup.
- Lemon juice - Lemon is one of the base ingredients. I don't recommend omitting it.
- Cinnamon stick - An optional garnish that adds an aromatic spice to the finished cocktail.
Tips and tricks
Make it simple or fancy - The base of a hot toddy is whiskey, warm water, lemon juice, and honey. Everything else is extra, so feel free to get as simple or intricate as you'd prefer. Your hot toddy can even be made non-alcoholic.
Use your favorite tea - Try making a hot toddy with your favorite tea. Black tea, earl grey, or chamomile are great options. I recommend trying chamomile if you'd prefer a caffeine free drink.
Garnishes - A cinnamon stick, lemon slice, or orange slice make great garnishes to this warm cocktail.
Frequently asked questions
Hot beverages are steamy and may help clear up your sinuses as well as soothe a sore throat.
Here's a great article with more details: Healthline: Is Drinking a Hot Toddy Beneficial for a Cough?
There hasn't been any research done on the effectiveness of a hot toddy on cold symptoms, but some of the base ingredients have been shown to help with the common cold. Lemon contains Vitamin C, which is said to reduce the duration of a cold. Honey has anti-inflammatory properties and will coat and soothe a sore throat.
Here's a great article with more details: Healthline: Is Drinking a Hot Toddy Beneficial for a Cough?
Yes, you can make a non-alcoholic hot toddy. The base of a hot toddy is warm water, lemon juice, and honey. The whiskey can be omitted entirely if desired. For a little more flavor, try making a hot toddy with your favorite tea instead of water.
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📖 Recipe
Hot Toddy
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz whiskey, or dark rum
- 6 oz hot water, or hot tea
- 2 teaspoon honey
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cinnamon stick, optional
Instructions
- In a mug, add whiskey, hot water, honey, and lemon juice. Stir until honey is dissolved.
- Add more lemon juice and/or honey as desired to suit your tastes.
- Optionally, garnish with a cinnamon stick. Serve hot.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- The base of a hot toddy is hot water, lemon juice, and honey. The whiskey is optional if you'd like to make it non-alcoholic.
- Whiskey can be substituted with your favorite bourbon, dark rum, or scotch.
- Honey can be substituted with maple syrup.
- More great additions: lemon slice, orange slice, cloves, ginger.
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