Hot Toddy

Before you start

A hot toddy is a short, warm mix of spirit, sweetener, citrus and hot water. Whiskey is the most common base, whether bourbon, Scotch or Irish, and each gives a different drink: bourbon is sweet and vanilla-rich, Irish whiskey soft and light, a blended Scotch gently malty. The toddy is really a hot sour, and it depends on the same balance between sweet and sour.

The water matters more than people expect. Boiling water straight from the kettle flattens the whiskey and evaporates its aromas, while lukewarm water makes the drink taste thin. Water around 80°C (175°F), just off the boil, keeps it hot enough to sip slowly. Warm the mug first so the drink holds its heat, and dissolve the honey before the whiskey goes in.

Ingredients

• 45 ml (1½ oz) whiskey — bourbon, Irish whiskey or blended Scotch
• 15 ml (½ oz) honey — or 20 ml honey syrup made 3:1 with water
• 15 ml (½ oz) fresh lemon juice
• 120 ml (4 oz) hot water — about 80°C (175°F)
• 1 lemon wheel — studded with 3 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick — optional

Method

1. Boil the kettle and fill the mug with hot water to warm it. Let the kettle rest for a minute or two so the water drops to about 80°C (175°F).
2. Press the cloves into the lemon wheel through the peel.
3. Empty the warming water from the mug. Add the honey and about 30 ml (1 oz) of the hot water and stir until the honey has completely dissolved.
4. Add the whiskey and lemon juice, then the remaining 90 ml (3 oz) hot water. Stir.
5. Taste. Add a little more honey if it is sharp, or lemon if it seems flat and sweet; a teaspoon at a time is enough.
6. Float the clove-studded lemon wheel on top and add the cinnamon stick as a stirrer. Serve while hot.

Tips for success

• Honey syrup mixes in instantly. Stir 3 parts honey with 1 part hot water and keep it in the fridge for drinks all season.
• Do not drown the drink. Much more than 120 ml of water and the whiskey disappears.
• A toddy glass with a handle, or a thick mug, keeps the drink hot far longer than a thin glass.

Substitutions

Whiskey

Dark rum gives a rounder, molasses-sweet toddy; aged brandy or apple brandy makes a fruitier one. A peated Scotch adds smoke, so start with half peated and half blended.

Honey

Maple syrup or demerara syrup work well. Strong honeys, such as buckwheat, can overwhelm a light whiskey.

Hot water

Hot black tea, chamomile or rooibos in place of water adds depth. With black tea the drink gains caffeine.

Variations

Apple toddy

Use apple brandy and replace half the water with hot apple cider.

Tea toddy

Brew 120 ml strong black tea or rooibos for 3 minutes and use it instead of water.

Troubleshooting

It tastes harsh and boozy

The water was boiling or there was not enough of it. Use water just off the boil and the full 120 ml.

The honey sank to the bottom

It went in with the whiskey and cooled. Dissolve it first in a little hot water, or use honey syrup.

It cooled too fast

The mug was cold. Preheat it with hot water every time.

Storage

Make each toddy to order; it cools and loses its aroma within minutes. Honey syrup keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for about a month; discard it if it smells fermented or looks cloudy.

Safety notes

One toddy contains 45 ml of 40% ABV whiskey, about 1 U.S. standard drink (14 g of pure alcohol). It is not a remedy for colds or flu. Serve it only to adults of legal drinking age, and never drink and drive.