Apple Cider Hot Toddy Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

FAQs

How does a hot Tottie work? ›

The ingredients in a hot toddy have been shown to have cough-suppressing properties. Alcohol isn't needed in the recipe to experience these benefits. Consuming warm water, lemon, and honey is the key to symptom relief. Additional items can be added to taste, such as tea, clove, and ginger.

Simple to make and super soul-warming, apple cider whiskey is one of the best whiskey co*cktails to enjoy with family and friends during the fall and holiday season, especially around the fire on a brisk day.

Southern Living says that apple cider also uses pressed apples, but unlike apple juice, the pressed apple is unfiltered and unpasteurized. This is the reason consumers may see residue at the bottom of the drink (the best solution is to shake the bottled cider to mix).

The British declared the drink as their own, which is why it's a staple in pubs throughout England. During the cold and damp winters, it became common for consumers to pour hot water into their scotch or whiskey. With time, spices were thrown into the mix resulting in the classic we know today.

To make a hot toddy, you'll need bourbon (which is a type of whiskey), honey, lemons, cinnamon sticks, star anise pods, and whole cloves. Simply combine the bourbon, lemon juice, and honey in a mug and add boiling water (use more or less water depending on how strong you'd like your hot toddy to be).

Both experts concluded that a hot toddy is a soothing drink that can help temper some cold symptoms, but it doesn't have any more healing powers than a bowl of soup or a steaming cup of tea. “It'll make you feel better because it's comforting and it will help replace some fluids, but not much else,” Kacew says.

Many alcohols mix well with apple cider. Dark liquors like bourbon (my pick) or dark rum are traditional, but they are by no means the only option. Vodka pairs well with apple cider and is a good light option. You can even let guests each pick their own.

Apple cider is apple juice that has not been filtered and still contains all the apple pieces, pulp, and sediment. It is the raw, purer version of apple juice. To make an alcoholic cider, yeast is added which converts the sugar into alcohol. Simple right? Hard cider is the adult version of apple cider.

Apple cider has a natural affinity for dark spirits, and bourbon is a classic. While you could load this up with all kinds of winter spice, we keep things simple: cider, spirit, a little honey to balance the booze, and a cinnamon stick to garnish.

Is hot apple cider good for you? ›

Apple cider contains polyphenols, which are compounds in plants that act as antioxidants. They can help the body to fight against free radicals and cell damage, lowering your risk of certain types of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Polyphenols also help to ease inflammation in the body.

Apple juice and apple cider are both pressed fresh apples, but that is where the similarities stop. The Kitchn states that apple juice is filtered and has added preservatives such as sugar. This makes apple juice more sweet and it will also have a longer shelf-life.

To make a hot toddy, you just need a few simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand, including lemon, honey and some brown liquor. Some popular liquor choices for a hot toddy are Maker's Mark, Monkey Shoulder or Woodford Reserve.

We like to add the liquor to our hot toddies last. The reason is if we added it first, the boiling water would start to evaporate away some of the alcohol. We have no idea how much, but we paid for full-strength whiskey and we're not prepared to lose any of it to the atmosphere!

The hot toddy is not one of those drinks that you down simply to get drunk. It is more of an experience and a way to relax, so its alcohol content may be irrelevant for the most part. However, for the curious drinker, you can expect it to weigh in around 6 percent ABV (12 proof).

According to folklore, by the time you finish the drink you will be breathing better, and the alcohol will start to make you drowsy so you can rest easy. It's also a great nightcap and you don't need to be under the weather to enjoy it. I owe my new found love for The Hot Toddy to an unexpected whiskey.

Alcohol dilates blood vessels, which makes it easier for your body's mucus membranes to deal with the infection. And if you enjoy your whiskey mixed into a hot beverage like a toddy, then you'll experience additional benefits as the moisture from the hot water helps relieve nasal decongestion.

These days, when it comes to making hot toddies, it's a flexible rubric. Maker's Mark and Jameson are popular choices, but they're far from your only option. Try it with rye, Bourbon, rum, or the brown spirit of your choosing. The best whiskey to use in a hot toddy is the one you have on hand.