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HotWinterHolidaySoothing

Hot Toddy Mocktail

Honey, lemon and spice in hot water. What to hold at a winter party, and genuinely soothing when you're ill.

Hot Toddy Mocktail — a non-alcoholic drink served in a glass
Photo by quinn.anya · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Openverse
Prep
5 min
Serves
1
Glass
Mug
Difficulty
Easy

Ingredients

  • 6 oz hot water or strong black tea
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 cloves
  • Lemon wheel, to garnish

Method

  1. 1Warm a mug by filling it with hot water for a minute, then pour it out.
  2. 2Add the honey and lemon juice to the mug and stir until the honey dissolves.
  3. 3Top with hot water or tea and stir again.
  4. 4Add the cinnamon stick and cloves, and let it sit for two minutes before drinking.
  5. 5Garnish with a lemon wheel studded with a clove.

Notes

  • Don't use boiling water on the honey — just off the boil keeps the flavour and doesn't scald the lemon.
  • A strong black tea base makes it more of a drink and less of a remedy.
  • A thin slice of fresh ginger added with the spices gives it real heat.

Common questions

Is a hot toddy still good without whiskey?

Yes. The honey, lemon and spice do the soothing work; the whiskey mainly adds warmth. Using strong black tea as the base gives it enough body to feel like a proper drink.

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