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    Home » Bourbon

    Tea Hot Toddy

    Published: Feb 12, 2017 · Modified: Nov 24, 2023 · 10 Comments

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    This tea hot toddy is made with herbal tea, bourbon, lemon juice, and honey. It's a delicious hot cocktail that's the perfect for sick days.

    This tea hot toddy is made with herbal tea, bourbon, lemon juice, and honey. It's a delicious hot cocktail that's the perfect for sick days.

    Pouring Tea for a Mint Tea Hot Toddy
    THERE IS NO CURE FOR THE COMMON COLD. THIS RECIPE IS INTENDED TO HELP SOOTHE COLD SYMPTOMS, BUT IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE.

    Has the winter weather taken its toll on you this year?  

    Have you made it through cold and flu season unscathed?  

    We haven't.  

    In fact, this winter has been a little bit rough.  Between the two of us, the husband and I have managed to catch what seems like every cold virus coming and going.

    We're on the mend now (again), but I know some of you are still trying to get better.  

    When I get sick, I usually making a batch of my onion and garlic "get well soup" and some bourbon cough syrup right away.

    And then there's something else I do.

    I make this tea hot toddy.

    What Is a Hot Toddy?

    Hot toddies are traditionally made with liquor, hot water, honey, and some type of herb or spice.

    They're delicious even if you're completely well, but they're especially known for being a home remedy for illness.

    The warm liquor helps you fall asleep, the honey soothes your throat, and the herbs and spices and flavor and nutrients.

    Choosing a Tea

    First, you need tea.

    I especially love to use mint tea in my hot toddies. I recommend Republic of Tea's organic mint fields.

    If you decide to use a different tea, try to stick with herbal tea and not caffeinated tea. The goal is to drink a tea hot toddy and then go to sleep.

    Add Lemon to the Hot Toddy

    Next, grab a lemon.

    Or have a friend bring you one from the store.

    Lemon juice is deliciously perfect in a hot toddy, because lemon juice tastes amazing, is packed with vitamin C, and helps to naturally break down mucus build-up.

    Mint Tea Hot Toddy with Lemons, Honey, and a Honey Pot

    Why Add Honey?

    If you don't usually drink your tea with sweetener, you might be inclined to skip the honey.

    And you can definitely skip it if you prefer.

    But.

    Honey in a hot toddy is doesn't just add flavor. It also helps coat your throat and acts as a natural cough syrup.

    The Best Liquor for a Hot Toddy

    There's one more thing you should add to this hot toddy-- the not-so-secret ingredient.

    Hot toddies are usually made with either bourbon or whiskey. I usually add a little Maker's Mark bourbon to mine.

    How to Make a Tea Hot Toddy

    To make a your sick day cocktail, start by brewing the tea.

    Add add a little bourbon, the honey, and a squeeze of lemon.  That's it.  

    You don't want anything too complicated right now anyway, right?  Adjust the amounts to taste, sip your hot toddy slowly, and feel better.

    Drizzling Honey into a Hot Toddy with Tea
    This vegan-friendly Mint Tea Hot Toddy hot cocktail is the perfect "get well" drink for for cold winter days.
    Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    5 from 6 votes

    Tea Hot Toddy

    This tea hot toddy is made with herbal tea, bourbon, lemon juice, and honey. It's a delicious hot cocktail that's the perfect for sick days.
    Author: Sarah Trenalone
    Cook Time5 minutes mins
    Total Time5 minutes mins
    Course: Drinks
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Servings: 1 person
    Calories: 112kcal
    Freezer Friendly?
    No
    Will It Keep?
    No
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 herbal tea bag (or 1 ½ tsp loose leaf herbal tea)
    • 1 ounce bourbon (or sub whiskey)
    • 2 teaspoons honey, to taste
    • ⅛ lemon, sliced (1-2 slices)

    Instructions

    • Brew tea in hot water for 2-3 minutes.
    • Add bourbon to tea.  Add honey (or agave) to taste.  
    • Squeeze a lemon slice (or 2) into the drink, and then serve with the lemon slice still inside.  Serve hot.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 112kcal (6%) | Carbohydrates: 13g (4%) | Protein: 1g (2%) | Fat: 1g (2%) | Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 12g (13%) | Vitamin C: 7mg (8%)
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!

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    About Sarah Trenalone

    Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

    5 from 6 votes

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    Comments

    All commentsI made this
    1. Megan Marlowe says

      February 13, 2017 at 5:16 pm

      5 stars
      I could really go for this right now. I woke up with a sore throat and I was hoping it would just go away. Alas, it has not and it has me wanting to lay in bed all day and forget my adult duties. Lucky for me, I've got all the ingredients to make this hot toddy to fix me right up!

      Reply
      • champagne-tastes says

        February 14, 2017 at 9:27 am

        I totally understand! Feel better!

        Reply
    2. Noel Lizotte says

      February 13, 2017 at 6:55 pm

      5 stars
      Definitely keeping this recipe handy! We've been lucky this year - knock on wood - but so many folks around have been fighting the bugs.

      Such pretty pictures!

      Reply
    3. Meg | Meg is Well says

      February 13, 2017 at 11:26 pm

      5 stars
      I've been drinking so much mint tea lately! I would never think to pair it with bourbon but the ability of both working together to make you sleepy is too good to pass up. Cheers to no more colds!

      Reply
    4. champagne-tastes says

      February 14, 2017 at 9:24 am

      Yup I love it with the tea added!

      Reply
    5. Molly Kumar says

      February 15, 2017 at 2:39 am

      5 stars
      Oh Boy, I could just drink this right now. The weather here has been so topsy-turvy that a warm bourbon tea drink is just what we need and the addition of mint n honey sounds so soothing.

      Reply
    6. Claire @ The Simple, Sweet Life says

      February 19, 2017 at 11:47 pm

      This sounds AMAZING! Love the mint twist!

      Reply
    7. Alisha says

      January 16, 2018 at 8:00 pm

      5 stars
      This got rave reviews from my dad, who had several 😉 servings of this while he was sick this week. I think it was pretty easy to make. The only thing was, unfortunately we didn't have mint tea and the weather was too bad to go out to the store at the time, so we used some green tea we had on hand. I'm sure the mint flavor adds a lot of delightfulness, but even without that he thought it was pretty great.

      Reply
      • champagne-tastes says

        January 24, 2018 at 9:33 pm

        I'm glad he liked it! I swap out other teas too sometimes and it's still delicious 😀

        Reply
    8. Cynthia says

      January 24, 2018 at 9:16 pm

      5 stars
      This is the perfect drink if you have a sore throat…so soothing. I love the mint!

      Reply
    bio

    Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a traveler who loves to eat.   Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road.

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