Cinnamon Spice Hot Toddy

This 4-ingredient Cinnamon Spice Hot Toddy features bright spicy cinnamon flavors and belly-warming liquor in a beverage that will warm you up, no matter how cold it is outside.

Today kicks off a 6-week Winter Warm-Up Drink Series, hosted by Ellen at Family Around the Table. So every Friday for the next 5 weeks (I hope), I’ll be bringing you a new winter drink recipe, as well as a whole bunch of recipes from my blogging friends,designed to keep you warm during these frigid winter months. Our little group has started the week strong, with lots of recipes I want to try:

• • Cinnamon Spice Hot Toddy by Books n’ Cooks
  • Dirty Earl Grey Latte by The Baking Fairy
  • Earl Grey Hot Toddy by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
  • Hot Ginger Coffee by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
  • Oatmeal Cookie Latte by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
  • Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
  • Ultimate Hot Chocolate by Family Around the Table

I have a confession. Throughout the winter months, I’d routinely see recipes for hot toddies, but I never really knew what one was. Wikipedia defines a Hot Toddy as “a mixed drink made of liquor and water with honey (or, in some recipes, sugar), herbs (such as tea) and spices.” With that definition, I can get on board with that, can’t you?

But here’s the thing. I kept seeing recipes suggesting whiskey or bourbon as the main liquor, and that’s not really my thing, so I was hesitant to even try one.

Last year I ended up getting a bad cold and feeling pretty miserable and finally decided to give one a try. Somewhere, I found a version that used cinnamon tea – one of my favorite black teas. It’s become a recipe that I make time and time again during the colder months. Although it doesn’t hold strictly to Wikipedia’s definitions, I’m still calling this a hot toddy. Easy as can be, bright spicy cinnamon flavors, and a little extra warmth from the liquor. I have made this recipe with bourbon, brandy and spiced rum (Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum to be exact), all with good results, although the latter is my favorite.

Recipe Notes:

• • • Tip: If you have an organic or other market near you that sells spices in bulk, stop there are stock up on cinnamon sticks. It’s sooo much cheaper than what you find in the standard grocery store.
    • Tip: I sometimes use the cinnamon sticks in the tea two or three times before tossing them (much like a vanilla bean). Simply remove from tea and allow to dry out on a small plate or balanced on the rim of a glass.
    • My favorite cinnamon tea for this recipe is Harney & Sons, available at Amazon (of course! affiliate link below) as well as Barnes & Nobles.

Do you enjoy hot toddies? Leave me a comment and tell me about your favorite recipe or flavor combination!

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Cinnamon Spice Hot Toddy

This 4-ingredient Cinnamon Spice Hot Toddy features bright spicy cinnamon flavors and belly-warming liquor in a beverage that will warm you up, no matter how cold it is outside.

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 1

Calories 170 kcal

Author Liz

Ingredients

• 1 cinnamon spice tea bag
• 8-10 oz. very hot or boiling water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1-2 oz. brandy, bourbon, or spiced rum

Instructions

1. Combine tea bag, boiling or almost boiling water and cinnamon stick in a mug and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Add liquor of choice and stir. Enjoy while still hot. 

Recipe Notes

Quantity of water and liquor used will depend on your mug. Mine was very large, so I used 10 oz. hot water and 2 oz. brandy (or other liquor). If you use a smaller mug, you may want to use a little less liquor.

The nutrition information for this post has been calculated using 2 oz. brandy.

Please drink responsibly. 

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