This Hot Bourbon Hot Toddy is a classic winter drink and will warm you up on cold days! It’s quick and easy, made with lemon, honey, and hot water.
Need a warming drink in cold weather? try it Spicy bourbon toddy! This warms you from head to toe with a delicious shot of whisky. Pour boiling water over a dash of bourbon, then top with lemon and spices. It’s perfect for sipping on chilly evenings: exactly the reason toddy was invented in the first place! Here’s how to make a bourbon toddy.
What is a bourbon toddy?
Toddy has a long history (read more about it here). At the beginning of the 19th century it was considered a cure for colds! After tasting it, it makes a lot of sense: this drink will definitely get heat up your chest and deep down your throat! Hot bourbon toddy is a hot whiskey drink in the evening by the fire (not quite a fancy winter cocktail for entertaining). Although it can be made with any dark liquor like rum or brandy, we like it best with bourbon whiskey.
What’s in a bourbon toddy? The ingredients you need are:
- Bourbon whiskey
- lemon
- honey or maple syrup
- Hot water or tea
Today, there are all sorts of variations on this theme, from cranberry to run to hot toddy gin recipes. In ours, we used bourbon and maple instead of honey since it’s our favorite sweetener. (Plus, sometimes the lemon and honey flavors together give us a medicinal vibe. Anyone else?)
switch alcohol!
Although bourbon grog is the most common, you can use other dark spirits as well. Here are a few different ways to change grog:
- Rum: Try aged rum or dark rum instead of whiskey for a sweeter taste. Try Rum Hot Toddy.
- Brandy: Use brandy to add dried fruit and citrus notes. Go to Brandy Hot Toddy.
You can also use apple cider instead of hot water! Go to Apple Cider Hot Toddy.
How to make a bourbon toddy
Bourbon toddy is humble and made for quick and easy home preparation! All you have to do is:
- Boil: Boil water in a tea kettle.
- To mix together: Mix together 1 tablespoon honey and 3 tablespoons bourbon (1½ ounces).
- Pay: Pour in ½ cup of hot water and garnish with a lemon wedge, squeezing the juice as you add.
Ways to Intensify Bourbon Toddy: With Toppings!
For this hot toddy button recipe, we added some fancy condiments since we had some left over from our hot apple cider! None are necessary, but they add a nice visual element and subtle flavor:
- The cinnamon stick: looks festive and adds a touch of spice
- cloves: is often added to spice up a toddy
- star anise: totally optional but adds a nice touch
Star anise is the most unique of all these spices. It is star-shaped and has a subtle black liquorice flavor. It is available at most grocery stores. If you can’t find it, you can also buy star anise online.
More hot drinks & winter cocktails
If you’re looking for hot drink recipes, you’ve come to the right place! And we have some winter cocktails too.
This toddy recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free and naturally sweet.
The description
Hot Bourbon Hot Toddy is a classic winter drink and will warm you up on cold days! It’s quick and easy, made with lemon, honey, and hot water.
- 1½ ounce (3 tablespoons) bourbon whisky
- ½ ounce (1 tbsp) honey or pure maple syrup
- ½ cup boiling hot water
- 1 slice of lemon
- For the garnish: 3 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick and 1 star anise (optional)
- In the serving glass, combine bourbon and honey (or maple syrup). Pour hot water. Garnish with a lemon wedge, squeeze the juice, add the cloves, cinnamon stick and star anise (if using).
- Category: drink
- Method: Mixed
- Kitchen: cocktail
Keywords: Hot Toddy Bourbon, Recipe for hot bourbon toddy
More bourbon drinks
Do you have a bottle of bourbon to use? Here are some more of the best bourbon cocktails to have in your arsenal:
