The Classic Honey Hot Toddy
Whiskey, lemon, raw honey, and hot water in the ratio that actually works. A few minutes, one mug, and a non-alcoholic version that tastes just as good.
Ingredients
The Toddy
- 2 oz (60 ml) bourbon, rye, or blended Scotch
- ½ oz (1 tbsp) fresh lemon juice, squeezed to order
- 5 oz (150 ml) hot water, about 160°F to 175°F
To Finish
- 1 lemon wheel, cut ¼ inch thick
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick, for stirring
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated ginger (for the zero-proof version)
From the Hive
- 1 tbsp Go Honey 100% Pure & Raw Honey, or 1 tbsp Go Honey Jarrah Honey for a darker, maltier cup
Instructions
Heat the Water
Bring a kettle to a boil, then take it off the heat and let it stand 5 to 8 minutes. You want water around 160°F to 175°F — steaming hard but no longer bubbling.
Warm the Mug
Fill a heatproof mug or glass with hot tap water, let it sit for a minute, then pour it out. A cold mug will drop your finished drink 15 to 20 degrees in the first sip.
Dissolve the Honey
Spoon the honey into the warm mug and add about 1 oz of the hot water. Stir for 15 seconds until it fully dissolves — honey will not disperse properly if you add it last to a full mug. Water in this range dissolves it without boiling it, which is the best you can do in a hot drink; a rolling boil flattens the aroma outright, and even here you are trading away a little of what you paid for.
Add Lemon and Whiskey
Pour in the lemon juice and the whiskey and stir once. The working ratio is 4 parts whiskey to 1 part honey to 1 part lemon — hold that and you can scale the drink to any mug.
Top and Taste
Add the remaining 4 oz of hot water and stir. Taste it now: if the whiskey is sharp, add another splash of hot water; if it reads flat, another few drops of lemon will lift it faster than more honey will.
Garnish and Rest
Stud the lemon wheel with the two cloves, float it on top, and leave the cinnamon stick in the mug. Give it 2 minutes before you drink — the spices need that long to say anything, and the toddy lands at a comfortable sipping temperature.
The Zero-Proof Version
Skip the whiskey and build the same drink on 6 oz of strong black tea or hot water, with the honey, the lemon, and a ⅛ teaspoon of freshly grated ginger. It is warming on a cold evening and nobody at the table has to sit it out — though honey, in any drink, is never for babies under one year old.
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Make This Recipe with Go Honey
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