Guide
Classic Whiskey Hot Toddy Recipe
A hot toddy is whiskey, honey, lemon, and hot water, and its whole character depends on getting the water temperature right. Hot but not boiling keeps the whiskey aromatic instead of scalding it away. This is the version to make on a cold evening, in a mug you can hold with both hands.
Classic Whiskey Hot Toddy
Ingredients
- 2 oz (60 ml) whiskey (Scotch, Irish, or bourbon)
- 2 tsp honey
- 0.5 oz (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 4 to 5 oz (120 to 150 ml) hot water, about 80 °C / 175 °F
- 1 lemon wheel studded with 3 whole cloves, to garnish
- 1 cinnamon stick, to stir (optional)
Instructions
- Boil the kettle, then bring the water down to roughly 80 °C / 175 °F before you use it: stir about 1 part cold water into 4 parts boiling, or leave the kettle uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes. A thermometer settles it.
- Warm a heatproof mug or glass by filling it with hot water, then pour that water out.
- Spoon the honey into the warm mug and add the lemon juice.
- Add a small splash of the hot water and stir until the honey has fully dissolved.
- Pour in the whiskey.
- Top up with the remaining hot water and stir once.
- Taste and add a little more honey or lemon to suit, then float the clove-studded lemon wheel on top.
- Serve with a cinnamon stick if you like, and let it sit a minute before the first sip.
A warming winter drink, nothing more. It is not a treatment for a cold or any other illness, and alcohol is a poor idea alongside most cold and flu medication.
Tips
- Do not use water straight off a rolling boil. It drives off the whiskey aromatics you are paying for and gives the honey a slightly scorched edge. A covered kettle sheds only a degree or two a minute, so a short wait will not get you there; cut it with cold water instead.
- Dissolve the honey in a splash of hot water before anything else goes in. Add it to a full mug and it sinks straight to the bottom and stays there.
- Peated Scotch makes a smoky, medicinal-tasting toddy that people either love or refuse. Irish whiskey or bourbon is the safer choice if you are making these for guests.
- Studding the lemon wheel with cloves gives you aroma without loose cloves knocking against your teeth.
FAQ
What usually goes wrong?
Pouring boiling water over the whiskey. The drink turns thin and vaporous, and most of what makes the whiskey worth using goes up your nose instead of into the glass.
How do I store it?
Make and drink one at a time. A toddy cannot be batched or reheated, and it is unpleasant once it drops below hand-warm.
Why do my times differ?
Ovens differ. Use the times as a guide and judge by how it looks and feels.