Recipe for a Hot Toddy with Tea & Whiskey - The Schmidty Wife (2024)
Warm up with this classic hot co*cktail, Hot Toddy Recipe with Tea! Known for its cold fighting powers this drink will warm you up and clear your fuzzy head with warm cinnamon, tea, honey, lemons, and whiskey!
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The Best Hot Toddy co*cktail
Hot Toddy’s are one of my secret new favorite things. To be honest I did’t try a hot toddy until more recently in my adult life and it was a game changer.
From helping relieve cold symptoms to warming me up on a windy and snowy night the Hot Toddy gets made quite frequently during the winter months in our house.
So how does a Hot Toddy help with a Cold or Cough?
It kind of sounds like a total wife’s tale right? And to a certain degree it is, let me start right now by saying a hot toddy does not in any way heal a cold or make it go away faster. At best it will alliveiate the symptoms of a cold momentarily, but in my experience those few relaxing moments are so worth it.
So these are the ideas behind why a hot toddy helps you feel a bit better during a cold:
Whiskey is a natural decongestant, known to dilate mucus membranes (gross), if you are stuffed up it might momentarily clear you up.
Lemon is rich in vitamin C, which some studies have suggested might help shorten a cold, I don’t know if the amount of lemon juice in here will actually do anything but believing is probably half of it.
Honey is known to help relieve a sore throat.
And hot tea to help soothe.
At the end of the day I am not a doctor and so must use this recipe with your own discretion.
It seems there are basically two trains of thought for a classic hot toddy, one made with tea and one made with just hot water.
I am team tea. Not only to enjoy the extra flavor but I think it helps soothe a bit more. I use black tea when I don’t mind the caffeine or for a caffeine free version I use the herbal tea rooibos.
Once you decide if you want to use black or rooibos tea then you have to decide what kind of whiskey you want to use.
In my opinion this is one of those drinks where any kind of whiskey is good. So I say just choose your favorite!
*I will note when I make a hot toddy I tend to not use the more expensive bottles and will usually reach for something like Maker’s Mark or Jack Daniels. But not all the time, like in the photos for this post I used Whistle Pig and it made a darn good drink!
So now that you have made your decisions let’s see how easy this co*cktail is!
You will need:
cinnamon stick
water
honey
1/2 lemon
whiskey
1 tea bag
For a complete detailed list of the ingredients continue towards the bottom of the page.
Instructions
In a small sauce pan add the cinnamon stick and water. Over medium-high heat bring to a boil. Once it hits a boil take off the heat. Add the tea bag and steep for 5 minutes.
Remove tea bag and stir in the honey until it dissolves.
In a large mug add the juice of half a lemon, whiskey, and the tea with the cinnamon stick for a garnish. Drink while still warm.
Try some variations!
Add in some apple cider for a flavorful fall twist
Add fresh ginger to the water for more flavor and ginger is known to help calm a stomach
Not a huge whiskey person? Try it with rum instead
Try different teas! Use Earl Grey, Irish Breakfast, Green, or any of your favorite herbal teas
Add a few cranberries to the water with the cinnamon stick for a fruity version
You might also like:
Milk Steamer
Apple Cider Bourbon co*cktail
Chai Spiced White Hot Chocolate
Chai Tea Concentrate
Simple Vegetable Rice Soup
Yield: 1 drink
Hot Toddy with Tea
Warm up with this classic hot co*cktail, known for it's cold fighting powers this drink has warm cinnamon, tea, honey, lemons, and whiskey to warm you up and to clear a fuzzy head!
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Ingredients
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 ounces bourbon/whiskey
1 black or rooibos tea bag
Instructions
In a small sauce pan add cinnamon stick and water. Over medium-high heat bring to a boil. Once it hits a boil take off the heat. Add you tea bag and steep for 5 minutes.
Remove tea bag and stir in the honey.
In a large mug add the juice of half a lemon, bourbon/whiskey, and the tea with the cinnamon stick for a garnish. Drink while still warm.
Notes
For a caffeine free version of this drink I recommend the herbal tea called rooibos, it has a very similar taste to black tea (some might describe it as 'smokier') but with no caffeine, if you don't mind the caffeine any blend of black tea should be delicious here.
I have made this with many different whiskey's and I would have to say they are all good in this drink, but if I had to pick though I would choose a sweeter American Bourbon like Maker's Mark for this drink.
I add the cinnamon stick at the beginning to get a real bold cinnamon flavor, if you want it a little more subtle just add it when you add the tea bag to the water. I also recommened using a stick and not ground cinnamon, ground cinnamon will leave your drink gritty feeling.
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Add you tea bag and steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bag and stir in the honey. In a large mug add the juice of half a lemon, bourbon/whiskey, and the tea with the cinnamon stick for a garnish. Drink while still warm.
You can use whatever tea you want for a hot toddy, and any full-bodied, flavorful tea that can stand up well to the strong flavors of spirits and lemon is a good option.
Irish Whiskey: Known for its smoothness and light sweetness, brands like Jameson and Bushmills blend well without overpowering the other ingredients. Bourbon: With its rich, vanilla, and caramel notes, bourbon like Maker's Mark or Woodford Reserve adds depth and complements the honey and lemon in the toddy.
The soft, vegetal, grassy flavors of most green tea means it adds to, rather than overpowers, even the lightest whiskies. Often, a green tea will highlight citrusy notes in whisky. The result is a refreshing, breezy drink ideal for summer picnics and sultry evenings.
Brandy, rum, and whiskey all make an excellent hot toddy. From there, switch out the citrus, add fruit, include warming spices, or sweeten it with whatever you like. However you choose to make your hot toddy, it can quickly become a new cold-weather favorite.
The Texas tea is really just a Long Island iced tea with a shot of bourbon. It's a simple twist on a popular mixed drink and one that you're sure to enjoy. Better yet, you can make it as a single drink or mix it up for a party. Be warned, though; it's easy to make it a little too strong if you're not careful.
Whiskey. Although some ingredients of a hot toddy could therefore improve the symptoms of a cold on their own, it is unclear whether the combination in a hot toddy would reduce cold symptoms. It is possible that the whiskey element counteracts some of these effects or causes negative effects.
A hot toddy, also known as hot whiskey in Ireland, and occasionally called southern cough syrup within the Southern United States, is typically a mixed drink made of liquor and water with honey (or in some recipes, sugar), lemon, herbs (such as tea) and spices, and served hot.
But fear not, hot cider, hot toddy, and mulled wine lovers: Around 85 percent of your beloved alcohol will survive the heating process. The U.S. Department of Agriculture did a study in 2007 that nailed down the numbers with the magic of the scientific method.
This one's a no brainer. Satisfyingly simple, you can whip up a batch in minutes that'll keep you happy all night long. Stir a shot of your preferred black tea with whisky and sugar syrup, pouring into an ice-filled glass. Top up with cold soda water and garnish with orange peel *chefs kiss*.
Almost any bourbon whiskey will be great in this bourbon tea recipe, and it is a simple enough drink to warrant experimentation with different brands. High-end bourbons with a smooth profile and full-bodied flavor are going to be best; Makers Mark or Buffalo Trace are two of the recommended brands.
Avoid foods that are strong in garlic or overly spicy as these will kill the flavour of any whisky. Spirits with strong flavours often match well with stronger foods and lighter spirits with foods with a lighter flavour profile, but you want the elements to complement each other rather than being too matchy-matchy.
Tea Tini. The martini family of drinks is the perfect foundation for a spot of tea. The easiest among them is the aptly named tea tini. It's really nothing more than shaken vodka, tea, and lemon juice served in a co*cktail glass.
Some does, but not all. While alcohol does have a lower boiling point than water, even after hours of cooking some residual alcohol will not evaporate. Even after 2–1/2 hours, tests have shown that ~5% of the original amount remains. In many cases the amount of alcohol remaining is very slight.
To really highlight all of those delicious hot toddy flavors, try adding a few drops of apple cider vinegar. Buttery, flaky pastries like our Ham, Swiss & Apricot Pinwheels are a nice, light complement to the hot toddy.
And it turns out that the core ingredients in a Hot Toddy — whiskey, hot water, honey, and lemon — do pretty much the same thing. A great decongestant, the alcohol in whiskey dilates the blood vessels, making it easier for your mucus membranes to deal with the infection.
The ingredients in a hot toddy have been shown to have cough-suppressing properties. Alcohol isn't needed in the recipe to experience these benefits. Consuming warm water, lemon, and honey is the key to symptom relief. Additional items can be added to taste, such as tea, clove, and ginger.
Best consumed in small doses and infrequently, Hot Toddies can only be served as as medicine to those 21 and over, should not replace a medical professional's advice, and are best followed by a tall glass of water, some herbal tea, and plenty of rest and TLC.
Introduction: My name is Dan Stracke, I am a homely, gleaming, glamorous, inquisitive, homely, gorgeous, light person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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