The recipe
for your table
Preheat the glass with hot water and pour it away.
Put the honey and lemon juice in the glass and stick the cloves into the lemon slice.
Pour in the hot water and stir until the honey has dissolved.
Add the whisky, cinnamon stick and lemon slice and serve immediately.
The story
The toddy originated in eighteenth-century Scotland, where hot water with sugar was meant to civilize the rough whisky of the time. The name may come from Tod's Well, the spring that supplied Edinburgh with water, or from 'taddy', an Indian palm wine the British knew from the colonies. Doctors prescribed toddies literally for generations to treat colds - warm steam, lemon and a nightcap in one. Science has since become more nuanced, but the tradition remains very much alive.
The right glass
For hot drinks, you need glass that can withstand high temperatures: a tempered tea glass with a handle or a double-walled glass of 25 to 36 cl. Double-walled glass has two advantages: your fingers won't burn and the toddy stays warm longer. What's more, the drink seems to float - wintertime theatre on the table. Your mulled wine and hot chocolate are sorted too. For hot drinks in a handled stemmed glass, also take a look at our Irish coffee glasses.
La Rochère Ouessant Tea Glass 36 cl (6 pieces)
Luigi Bormioli Thermic Glass Cappuccino Glass 16.5 cl with Stainless Steel Saucer (2 pieces)
Both sets — together € 66,90.
The right tools
For a Hot Toddy, besides the glass, you use a bar spoon for stirring and a jigger for precise measuring. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our pick 01) + 2 bar tools — together € 66,85.
Variations & twists
With rum, it becomes Caribbean; with cognac, French; with aged genever, surprisingly Dutch. Chamomile tea instead of hot water makes it milder, while ginger tea makes it spicier. And without alcohol - honey, lemon, ginger, cinnamon - it remains one of the finest winter drinks there is. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Use hot but not boiling water (± 80 degrees): boiling water drives away the whisky's aroma and kills the honey. Letting a slice of fresh ginger steep in it makes it even more warming.
Why the water must not boil
Eighty degrees is the target, and it really makes a difference. Boiling water at 100 degrees drives the whisky's volatile aromas away within seconds and makes the honey taste flat. So leave the kettle to stand for a minute or two before pouring, or mix one part cold water with three parts boiling water. Warm the glass first with hot water, then discard it, so the toddy does not cool immediately. Stir until the honey has completely dissolved before adding the whisky, because a tablespoon of honey dissolves in hot water within ten seconds.
Alcohol-free Hot Toddy with ginger
Without whisky, it remains an excellent winter drink. Replace the 4.5 cl with the same volume of strong ginger tea or a 0.0 whisky alternative, and keep the rest: one tablespoon of honey, 1.5 cl lemon juice, 12 cl water at 80 degrees, one cinnamon stick, and two cloves. Letting a few slices of fresh ginger steep brings back the sharpness the alcohol would otherwise provide. Let everything stand for three to four minutes before serving so the spices have time to work. For children, leave out the clove and use a little more honey.
Hot Toddy or Irish Coffee
Both are warm, strong, and sweet, but they solve different problems. In a Hot Toddy, hot water is the base and honey and lemon provide the flavor, keeping the drink light and clear. Irish Coffee is built around 12 cl of strong coffee with sugar and a layer of undisturbed cream, making it more of a dessert. You drink a toddy on a cold, blustery evening or before bed, and Irish Coffee after a meal. The glass also differs: a handled tea glass holding 25 to 36 cl versus a footed Irish coffee glass.
Which whisky should you choose for a Hot Toddy
A Scotch blend is the classic choice and remains the safest: smooth, lightly smoky, and not too expensive. Irish whiskey makes the toddy rounder and sweeter, bourbon adds vanilla and caramel and pairs well with the cinnamon. A heavily peated Islay malt overpowers the honey and lemon, so it is better saved for drinking neat. Expect to pay for a mid-range bottle, because anything over thirty euros largely disappears into the hot water here. Rum, cognac, and aged genever also work just as well in the same 4.5 cl measure.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make a Hot Toddy?
Dissolve a tablespoon of honey and 1.5 cl of fresh lemon juice in 12 cl of hot water at approximately 80 degrees, then add 4.5 cl of whisky with a cinnamon stick and a lemon slice studded with two cloves. Preheat the glass with hot water first; this will keep the toddy at temperature longer.
What is a hot toddy?
A hot toddy is the Dutch name for the Hot Toddy: a warm drink made with spirits, honey, lemon, and hot water, spiced with cinnamon and cloves. The recipe dates back to eighteenth-century Scotland, where hot water with sugar was used to make the harsh whisky of the time more palatable.
Is whisky good for a cold?
Whisky does not cure a cold. What does provide relief is the warm steam, the honey soothing the throat, and the comfort of a warm drink before bed. Doctors prescribed toddies literally for generations; today, we mainly see them as a pleasant winter ritual rather than medicine.
Can you make a Hot Toddy in advance?
No, you should pour a Hot Toddy just before serving: it should be hot, and the whisky's aroma dissipates as soon as it sits. You can, however, mix the honey and lemon juice into a syrup in advance and keep the water warm in a thermos. Preheat the glasses; see our tea glasses.
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