Hot Ginger Toddy
The cold weather can call for a stiff drink! Warm up by following this easy-to-make hot toddy recipe. Made with a base of ginger tea, this hot toddy will keep you warm on a chilly evening or help cure a cold.
A hot toddy is an alcoholic cocktail, served hot and traditionally made with whiskey, honey, lemon and hot water.
Hot Toddy Origins
Originally, the hot toddy started in India (at the time controlled by the British) back in the 17th century. Toddy comes from the Hindi word “taddy”, which translated explained a drink made with fermented palm sap. Over the decades, it became known as an alcoholic drink made with a mixture of hot water, sugar and spices.
By the middle of the 19th century the hot toddy became known as the “cure-all” for the common cold, as written in the 1837 Burlington Free Press article “How to Take Cold”: (“Plv him well with
hot stimulating drinks, of which hot toddy is the best”).
In Ireland the drink is known as a hot whiskey or grog (which uses rum and can be served hot or cold).
There’s several other stories about the “birth” of the hot toddy, there’s no denying it’s popularity to help keep you warm on a cold day and remedy any sniffles.
Today, there are a variety of recipes for this hot drink, but this recipe is one I usually make when I’m feeling a bit under the weather, or at the first signs of the cold or flu. Check out my other recipes for sorrel (which can be made hot) and spiced apple cider that you can try to warm up on a chilly fall afternoon.
Just a reminder: if you’re taking over-the-counter medication like Advil or Tylenol, you might want to try an alcohol-free version of this recipe as those two don’t mix well.
Hot Toddy Ingredients & Alternatives
Sweeteners
Honey is a natural sweetener with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. You can substitute with a bit of maple syrup.
Spirits
Whiskey is the liquor of choice for this drink, but if you don’t have any on hand you can substitute with bourbon, brandy, or a dark rum. I used Fireball Cinnamon whiskey, because it’s made with Canadian whiskey and has a hint of cinnamon flavouring (a warming spice that also has medicinal properties).
Spices
Although cinnamon is mostly used as a garnish for this drink, you can allow it to steep or add a few pinches of the dried spice to this hot toddy. Cinnamon has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which will help with any cold. The main flavour in this drink is ginger. Not only is ginger a good remedy for an upset stomach, but it also helps protect the respiratory system. Fresh would work better than dried (in this case You can boil chopped, fresh ginger in water), but I used a tea bag of pure dehydrated ginger rhizome. If you don’t have either, you can substitute with another herbal tea or just use hot water. The lemon in this recipe has anti-bacterial compounds and has a high amount of vitamin C.
Hot Ginger Toddy
Ingredients
- 325 mL hot water (a little more than 1 cup)
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 bag ginger tea organic or unsweetened
- 1 lemon
- 25 mL whiskey (about 1 fl. oz.)
- 1 small cinnamon bark
Instructions
- Boil enough water in a kettle to fill up a mug (anywhere from 1-2 cups will be needed).
- Pour the hot water into the mug. Stir in the honey to dissolve, and add the ginger tea bag. Allow to steep for 2-4 minutes.
- While the tea is steeping, cut the lemon in half and extract the juice. Add it to your cup.
- Slice the remaining half of lemon for garnish.
- Remove the teabag, and stir in the lemon juice and whiskey. Add in the cinnamon stick and slices of lemon to infuse more flavour.
Notes
- Using a mug that has been warmed will help keep your hot toddy piping hot while waiting for the tea to steep. You can fill it with hot water, let it sit for a few minutes and then dump it out right before starting the recipe.
- You can make this alcohol-free by just omitting the whiskey, and top it off with a bit more water instead.