This Hot Toddy recipe can be mixed up at home with simple ingredients like lemon, honey, whiskey, and tea. It's a comforting hot cocktail that can soothe a sore throat, reduce congestion, and aid sleep.

A hot toddy in a clear glass mug with lemon slice and cinnamon stick.

This Hot Toddy recipe can be mixed up at home with simple ingredients like lemon, honey, whiskey, and tea. It’s a comforting hot cocktail that can soothe a sore throat, reduce congestion, and aid sleep.

A mug of hot whiskey, honey, and lemon is sure to help you feel better when you get a common cold! So keep this recipe handy when cold and flu season hits!

A clear mug filled with a hot toddy with a lemon slice and cinnamon stick.

We all have home remedies that our family has passed down for generations and I know that one that always helps get me through a cold is a good, strong Old Fashioned Hot Toddy.

This concoction always seems to help me sleep as well as soothe my throat, two things I usually really need and are hard to come when sick, along with my heating pad.

And while there likely isn’t a wrong way to make a toddy, there is definitely a GOOD way that makes it taste great!

Table of Contents

What Is A Hot Toddy Drink?

It is an alcoholic warm drink used to aid sleep and soothe sore throats. Usually, the drink is made with hot water, liquor, lemon, honey, and spice. It’s great to fight off cold and flu or enjoy on a cold winter night.

Ingredients to make a hot toddy on a white wood table.

Here are the basic ingredients and all you need is a mug and boiling water once you have these things and you’ll be ready when cold symptoms hit!

What Ingredients Are In It?

Tea – Yes, tea! A classic hot toddy is made with just hot water, but why let that water go to waste when you can add a tea bag to it!

If rest is your goal, I’d use an herbal tea or white tea like chamomile or jasmine.

However, If you just want to lay on the couch and watch Netflix all afternoon, my favorite flavors are this Peaches and Ginger tea and this African Autumn tea.

Liquor – You can choose whichever liquor, some of the more popular options include whiskey, brandy, white or dark rum, scotch, and gin. I personally prefer either Bourbon or Irish Whiskey.

Do not drink a hot toddy while also taking cold medicine.

Honey – A long-time natural cough suppressant, your throat will thank you for this thick amber sweetener! It’s best to use local honey, one from the same county you live in, but in a pinch, good store-bought honey will do.

Lemon – This vibrant citrus is a key component of a cold-busting toddy no matter how you mix the other ingredients. It’s important that you use fresh lemon juice and not bottled. The lemon juice added to hot water or tea can help to reduce congestion.

Spice – Now, this is truly up to you, for me, I use tea, while those who use just straight-up hot water may decide to add a cinnamon stick or whole cloves to their toddies for additional spice.

Vinegar – Now, I personally like the taste of my hot toddies, but some people like them to really pack a punch and they add Raw Apple Cider Vinegar to them, about 1 to 2 tablespoons should be plenty if you decide to try it out.

A hot toddy garnished with lemon in a clear glass mug on a wooden tray.

How Do You Make It?

As I said, there are a million ways to make one, there are just so many ingredients and so many ratios to choose from! However, this is my favorite way to make them!

Prepare your tea and let it steep for the directed amount of time on the packaging.
Add the honey.
Pour in the lemon juice.
Top off with the whiskey or other alcohol of choice and stir with a cinnamon stick. Serve with a lemon slice.

Ok my husband usually makes me the hot toddy but he was outside working and I have a bad sore throat so I Pinterested of course. I just messaged my husband and said “Sorry if I hurt your feelings Babe, but I’ve trumped your Hot Toddy. Lol This was awesome and I’m not a fan of Hot Toddy’s. Tea is a brilliant idea and the lemon makes it even better.

– Candace

Step by step photo collage showing how to make a hot toddy.

So there you have it, tons of options and ways to customize this drink to fit your style and taste. Just use the recipe below for measurements and instructions and you’ll be sipping this homemade cold remedy in no time!

Do you have a favorite way to make hot toddies, maybe something I didn’t mention that I should try. Tell me in the comments!

2 mugs on a wooden tray filling with tea, lemon, honey, and whiskey.

The hot toddy is a classic recipe and it’s changed over the years as it’s come down through generations and families.

But one thing remains, they make you feel better, and people love them. And a gift basket with all the ingredients to make them is a great get well gift for a friend.

More Delicious Drink Recipes!

Let’s Connect!

If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review; I love hearing from you! And don’t forget to tag me – @sugarandsoulco – on Instagram and Pinterest with your photos or join our Sugar & Soul Show-offs Community and share them there, where you can join our recipe challenges and win prizes!

Hot Toddy

Author Rebecca Hubbell

Course Cocktail, Drink, Drinks

Cuisine American, English

Prep Time 7

Total Time 7

Ingredients

Instructions

In a mug, add the hot water and tea bag. Steep the tea based on the recommended time on the package.
Remove the tea bag (if you’d like) and add in the honey, give it a quick stir to help it dissolve.
Top off with the liquor and lemon juice, stir to combine and finish with a fresh slice of lemon.

Video

Notes

Traditionally, this drink is made with just hot water. But why let that water go to waste when you can add a tea bag to it! If rest is your goal, I’d use an herbal tea or white tea like chamomile or jasmine. However, If you just want to lay on the couch and watch Netflix all afternoon, my favorite flavors are this Peaches and Ginger tea and this African Autumn tea.
A long time natural cough suppressant, your throat will thank you for this thick amber sweetener! It’s best to use local honey, one from the same county you live in, but in a pinch, good store-bought honey will do.
You can choose whichever liquor, some of the more popular options include whiskey, brandy, white or dark rum, scotch, and gin. I personally prefer either Bourbon or Irish Whiskey.
This vibrant citrus is a key component of a cold-busting toddy no matter how you mix the other ingredients. It’s important that you use fresh lemon juice and not the bottled stuff. The lemon juice added to hot water or tea can help to reduce congestion.
This is truly up to you, for me, I use tea, while those who use just straight up hot water may decide to add a cinnamon stick or whole cloves to their toddies for additional spice.
I personally like the taste of my hot toddies, but some people like them to really pack a punch and they add Raw Apple Cider Vinegar to them, about 1 to 2 tablespoons should be plenty if you decide to try it out.

Nutrition

Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Sodium: 9mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin C: 5.8mg

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