A hot toddy is raw honey and lemon juice dissolved in hot water, with whiskey stirred in for the classic version. That's the whole drink — the liquor is an addition, not the foundation, which is why a non-alcoholic hot toddy still tastes like a hot toddy and isn't just watered-down tea.
This version keeps the honey-forward ratio: enough honey that you taste it, not just enough to round off the whiskey's edge. It takes about five minutes and no special equipment beyond a kettle.
TL;DR: Dissolve 1-2 tablespoons of raw honey and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in 3/4 cup of hot (not boiling) water. Add 1.5 oz of whiskey or bourbon for the classic version, or skip it entirely. Garnish with a clove-studded lemon wheel and a cinnamon stick.
Honey Hot Toddy at a Glance
| Yield | 1 mug (about 8 oz) |
| Prep time | 5 minutes |
| Honey | 1-2 tablespoons |
| Alcohol | 1.5 oz whiskey or bourbon, optional |
| Best season | October through February |
Ingredients
For one mug:
- 1 to 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup hot water, not boiling — around 175°F
- 1.5 oz whiskey or bourbon, optional (rye works too)
- 1 cinnamon stick, for stirring
- 1 lemon wheel, studded with 3 whole cloves, for garnish
Scale everything up by the number of mugs you're pouring. For a group, make the honey-lemon base in a bigger batch (see below) and let people add their own hot water and whiskey at the table.
How to Make a Honey Hot Toddy
Step 1: Warm the honey in the mug
Add the honey directly to a heat-safe mug or glass. Pour in a splash of the hot water — just enough to cover the honey — and stir until it loosens and dissolves. Starting this way keeps thick, cold honey from clumping at the bottom once the rest of the water goes in.
Step 2: Add lemon juice and the rest of the water
Stir in the lemon juice, then top the mug with the remaining hot water. Water around 175°F — hot, but a minute or two off a full boil — protects more of raw honey's floral flavor than water straight off a rolling boil, the same principle behind honey ginger tea.
Step 3: Add whiskey, or don't
Stir in the whiskey or bourbon for the classic toddy. For the non-alcoholic version, skip this step completely — the honey and lemon base carries the drink on its own, and nobody at the table needs to know which mugs got the liquor and which didn't.
Step 4: Garnish and let it sit
Stud a lemon wheel with the cloves and float it on top. Drop in a cinnamon stick to stir with. Let the mug sit for about a minute before the first sip — the spices keep releasing flavor as it cools slightly.
Non-Alcoholic Hot Toddy
The alcohol-free version isn't a compromise recipe tacked onto the end of this one — it's the same drink with one ingredient removed. Follow the steps exactly, skip the whiskey, and consider adding:
- A few slices of fresh ginger steeped in the hot water for a minute before you build the drink, for warmth without the liquor.
- A splash of apple cider, in place of some of the water, for more body — this edges toward our honey mulled cider but stays in mug-sized proportions.
- An extra half-teaspoon of honey, since whiskey's bite is part of what balances the sweetness in the classic version; without it, most people want the toddy slightly less sweet or slightly more tart with lemon.
This is the version to reach for on a chilly evening when you want something warm without the whiskey — honey and lemon carry the drink on their own, and it pours just as well for a designated driver as for anyone else at the table.
Batch Version for Guests
For a holiday gathering, make a honey-lemon concentrate ahead of time and let guests build their own mugs.
- Combine 1 cup raw honey with 1 cup fresh lemon juice in a jar. Stir until fully blended.
- Refrigerate up to 1 week.
- Set out the concentrate, a kettle of hot water, cinnamon sticks, clove-studded lemon wheels, and a bottle of whiskey or bourbon.
- Each mug: 2 tablespoons of concentrate, 3/4 cup hot water, whiskey to taste.
This scales to any size gathering without anyone standing over a stove all night, and it lets non-drinkers build the exact same drink minus the bottle.
Which Honey to Use
- Raw wildflower honey is what we reach for — enough floral character to notice next to the lemon and whiskey, without the intensity of a darker honey. Our raw California wildflower honey is unfiltered and never heated above 95°F.
- Clover honey is milder and lets the lemon and whiskey lead, if that's the balance you prefer.
- For a single mug at your desk or a travel thermos, a honey stick holds about a teaspoon and squeezes straight into the hot water without a spoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
What whiskey is best for a hot toddy?
A basic bourbon or blended whiskey is the traditional choice and works well with honey and lemon. Rye adds a spicier edge if you want it. Avoid anything heavily peated or smoky — the smoke tends to fight with the citrus rather than complement it.
Can I make a hot toddy without lemon?
Yes, though the drink loses some brightness. Orange juice or a splash of apple cider vinegar (start with a teaspoon) are reasonable substitutes — both echo the acidity lemon provides. Our honey lemon apple cider vinegar drink uses a similar honey-acid combination if you want to compare.
Is a hot toddy safe for kids?
The non-alcoholic version is fine for anyone old enough to have honey — over 12 months. Honey can contain Clostridium botulinum spores that an infant's gut cannot yet handle, so don't give any honey-sweetened drink to a baby under 12 months (CDC). Never serve the whiskey version to a child, obviously — build theirs separately.
Why does my honey sink to the bottom instead of mixing in?
The water wasn't hot enough when the honey went in, or the honey is very thick and cold. Always dissolve the honey in a small splash of hot water first, before adding the lemon and topping off — that one step prevents almost all the clumping.
Two Ingredients, a Kettle, Five Minutes
A hot toddy comes down to raw honey and lemon dissolved in hot water. Everything else — the whiskey, the cinnamon stick, the clove-studded lemon wheel — is a variation on that base. Keep a jar of honey-lemon concentrate in the fridge from October through February and you're never more than a kettle away from one. For a bigger batch that serves a crowd from one pot, our honey mulled cider is the other holiday drink worth having on hand.
The honey in this recipe is our own raw California wildflower honey, strained once and never fine-filtered, so it still tastes like the flowers it came from.
Cook With Real Raw Honey
Recipes taste different with unfiltered wildflower honey — more floral, less flat. Start with the 16 oz squeeze bottle.
16 oz · $24.99
Keep reading
Recipes
Honey Ginger Tea Recipe: Fresh Ginger in 10 Minutes
Fresh ginger simmered for 10 minutes, then raw honey stirred in off the heat. Here is the ratio, the timing, a fridge concentrate that makes a mug in 60 seconds, and which honey to use.
Recipes
Honey in Coffee: How to Do It Right
Honey can replace sugar in your daily coffee, but temperature, timing, and honey choice all matter. Here's how to do it right—plus creative honey coffee recipes.
Recipes
Fall Honey Drinks: 10 Warm Recipes for Cold Days
When temperatures drop, reach for these warming honey drinks. Ten recipes for cozy fall beverages—from apple cider to chai to hot toddies—all sweetened naturally with raw honey.
Recipes
Honey Mulled Cider Recipe: Stovetop and Slow Cooker
Warm apple cider steeped with cinnamon, star anise and orange, sweetened with raw honey instead of sugar. Stovetop in 20 minutes, or a slow-cooker version that holds all afternoon for a party.
