This Black Tea Hot Toddy is a Classic Winter Warmer (2024)

Soothing, comfy, and perfect for cooler weather, the hot toddy is a classic warm co*cktail. Endlessly customizable, or delightful kept simple and straightforward, this drink is the go-to beverage for snuggling up fireside or fending off seasonal sniffles.

The basic hot toddy recipe requires only a few ingredients: a base liquor, honey, lemon, and hot water. This formula is a classic for good reason. It's delicious, comes together quickly and helps to instantly relax. It's also an ideal canvas for customizing to your exact taste.

Toddies to Your Taste

In this recipe, brewed tea provides an additional layer of flavor. Feel free to get adventurous with the type of tea you use. Which spirit you choose will be a matter of personal taste or whatever you have on hand. 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.

What You'll Need To Make This Black Tea Hot Toddy

A Tea Kettle
Measuring Spoons
A Knife

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Tips for Terrific Toddies

  • Some more citrus—1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon adds great flavor, though you might enjoy it with a little extra citrus. Add as much as you like. Your immune system will thank you for the extra dose of vitamin C. You can also add a little fresh orange juice for a more complex citrus flavor.
  • Keep it toasty—Preheating the glass or mug ensures your toddy stays warm a little longer. You can do so by filling it with hot water while you compile your ingredients, or place the water-filled glass in the microwave for about 5 or 10 seconds.

"Usually a mixture of dark spirit, lemon, honey, and hot water, this hot toddy recipe adds a delightful nuance by using hot tea. The tea you decide to use can draw in the spirit, citrus, honey, and even the cinnamon. This recipe is one of the best hot co*cktails I have had." —Sean Johnson

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A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water

  • 1 bag black or green tea, or 1 teaspoon loose leaf tea

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • 1 1/2 ouncesbrandy, whiskey, orrum

  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste

  • 1 Lemon wedge, for garnish

  • 1 Cinnamon stick, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Heat 1 cup of water in a tea kettle or the microwave. Once warm, add 1 tea bag and allow to steep for about 3 to 5 minutes(or according to the tea's recommended brewing time).

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  3. While brewing the tea, heat your mug by filling it with warm water or place it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds.

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  4. Once the glass is warm, discard the water and coat the bottom with 1 tablespoon honey.

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  5. Add 1 1/2 ounces liquor and 1 tablespoon fresly squeezed lemon juice to the glass, then fill with the brewed tea. Stir well to incorporate the honey.

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  6. Garnish with 1 lemon wedge and 1 cinnamon stick. Serve and enjoy.

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Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • Use gin—If you love the botanical flavor of gin, create a hot gin toddy.
  • Make it non-alcoholic—Don't feel like liquor tonight? Simply skip the booze and you have a hot not toddy.
  • Use a different sweetenerAgave nectar is an excellent substitute for the sweetener. It will retain the richness of honey and is vegan.
  • Make simple syrup—Another sweetener option is simple syrup, which is nothing more than sugar transformed into a liquid (which you can make at home). Simple syrup can also be flavored. Cinnamon syrup is an excellent choice, or you could have fun with the likes of a cranberry spice syrup.
  • Just use sugar—If you don't have a liquid sweetener, simply stir in 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. The warm tea will dissolve it quickly.
  • Try other teas—Feel free to experiment with your favorite types of tea. Most black and green teas mix well into a toddy, but from there it's a personal preference.

How Strong Is the Hot Toddy?

The hot toddy is not one of those drinks that you down simply to get drunk. It is more of an experience and a way to relax, so its alcohol content may be irrelevant for the most part. However, for the curious drinker, you can expect it to weigh in around 6 percent ABV (12 proof). That's about the same as a strong beer.

16 Hot co*cktails for Cold Days

  • Brandy co*cktails
  • Winter Drinks co*cktails
  • Fall Drinks
  • Christmas Drinks
  • British Food
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
458Calories
3g Fat
106g Carbs
9g Protein

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories458
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g3%
Saturated Fat 0g2%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 31mg1%
Total Carbohydrate 106g39%
Dietary Fiber 23g82%
Total Sugars 51g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 431mg2,154%
Calcium 224mg17%
Iron 5mg27%
Potassium 1325mg28%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

  • hot toddy
  • black tea
  • american
  • fall
This Black Tea Hot Toddy is a Classic Winter Warmer (2024)

FAQs

Does a hot toddy actually help a cold? ›

A hot toddy contains several ingredients that may be able to reduce cold symptoms, such as lemon, honey, and hot water. Adding spices, such as ginger, to a hot toddy may also have benefits. There is, however, no evidence to suggest that alcohol can help with the symptoms.

What is the purpose of a hot toddy? ›

A hot toddy is a home remedy made from common household ingredients to treat the symptoms of cold and flu. The ingredients are warmed and ingested as a drink to help with sore throat pain, runny nose, and cough. The ingredients for a hot toddy are a combination of lemon or lemon juice, honey, and hot water.

What is hot toddy tea good for? ›

Hot Toddy 20 Tea Bags help to soothe and alleviate the symptoms of flu, colds and congestion, while also strengthening the body's resistance. It contains honey, menthol, vitamin C, olive leaf and pink rock rose.

What is the folklore about hot toddy? ›

Allegedly in the 18th century, the water came from Tod's well, the largest well in the area, lending its name to the drink. Another story involves an Irish doctor, Robert Bentley Todd, who prescribed his patients a recipe of hot brandy, water, cinnamon and sugar.

Can you drink hot toddy everyday? ›

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.

Is hot toddy safe to drink? ›

Hot toddies are reported to help reduce cold symptoms, although you really don't want to overdo it on the whiskey. Your body needs to heal, and the simple combination of warm water, honey and lemon combined can work wonders. Alcohol doesn't mix well with over-the-counter and prescription medications.

Is toddy good or bad for health? ›

Numerous studies have demonstrated the value of consuming Palm Toddy in moderation to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases are less likely to occur when a Palm Toddy is consumed. Neera contains potassium, which can decrease blood pressure and improve heart health.

Do hot toddies get you drunk? ›

The hot toddy is not one of those drinks that you down simply to get drunk. It is more of an experience and a way to relax, so its alcohol content may be irrelevant for the most part. However, for the curious drinker, you can expect it to weigh in around 6 percent ABV (12 proof).

Does hot toddy help you sleep? ›

After drinking the whole hot toddy, the 1.5 ounces of bourbon both puts you at ease and helps you drift into sleep so your body can recover. Learn how to make a hot toddy. Whether it's for yourself or for a loved one, we recommend keeping this recipe in your back pocket.

What is the best whiskey for a hot toddy? ›

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.

Is whiskey in tea good for you? ›

In 19th-century Britain, it was common for doctors to prescribe a Hot Toddy as a cure for almost anything, from stomach pain to insomnia. Today it is sipped more to soothe colds – whisky to fortify, tea to warm, lemon to boost vitamins – or as a pick-me-up for a moment of comfort in our busy world.

What does "hot toddy" mean in slang? ›

It might also not be a coincidence that a "hot toddy" is an alcoholic drink (a warm drink of whiskey or brandy), and that the student body and fans enjoy quite a party atmosphere on The Grove in Oxford for home games.

Who drinks hot toddys? ›

The British declared the drink as their own, which is why it's a staple in pubs throughout England. During the cold and damp winters, it became common for consumers to pour hot water into their scotch or whiskey. With time, spices were thrown into the mix resulting in the classic we know today.

Why is it called a toddy? ›

The word toddy comes from the toddy drink in India, produced by fermenting the sap of palm trees. Its earliest known use to mean "a beverage made of alcoholic liquor with hot water, sugar, and spices" is from 1786.

Does Whisky really help a cold? ›

Myth: Alcohol's decongestant properties can help treat cold symptoms. Alcohol is rumored to work as a decongestant, but actually, the reverse is true. Small amounts of alcohol can cause vasodilation — a widening of blood vessels — which can worsen a runny nose or congestion.

Does drinking hot drinks help colds? ›

Hot drinks are a good choice as the hot steam may help relieve nasal congestion.

Can you sweat out a cold? ›

Contrary to popular belief, sweating doesn't expel cold viruses from our bodies. Its primary role is to regulate body temperature by releasing impurities, not to combat infections like colds directly. Though some think sweating out a cold can speed up recovery, there's no scientific support.

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