I hope you all had a festive, comforting, and delicious Christmas (if you celebrate it). My mother-in-law has been in town for the last week, so we’ve been taking her to neighboring towns, museums, and wineries. We all worked together to make a traditional dinner yesterday, but for the most part, we’ve just been relaxing, listening to Christmas music, and watching Malcolm in the Middle on Netflix.
It’s the perfect season for Hot Toddy.
I returned from Kentucky Bourbon Country in October with a real appreciation for the spicy sweetness of this true American beverage. I don’t typically want it neat or on the rocks, but it seemed like the perfect thing to add to my evening tea.
Over the last month or so, I’ve developed a hot toddy recipe that plays on the traditional combination of lemon, honey, and whiskey, but with a twist: fair trade ginger tea. I won’t pretend this combination hasn’t been done before in some form, but mine might be the first recipe that uses fair trade ginger tea.
Whether you’re enduring a cold snap or a winter cold, this hot toddy will warm you up.
Ginger Tea Hot Toddy
Ingredients:
- 1 Bag Equal Exchange Fair Trade Organic Ginger Tea
- 1 Heaping Tablespoon Locally Sourced Honey
- 1 Squeeze of Lemon Juice
- 1 oz. Bourbon (I like Evan Williams’ Black Label and Buffalo Trace’s Benchmark)
To Make:
- Boil 12 oz. water.
- Add 1 oz. of bourbon and a tea bag to your favorite mug.
- Pour hot water over tea bag.
- Stir in honey and lemon.
- Remove ginger tea bag after 1-2 minutes for best balance.
- Put on your flannel PJs and settle in for the night.
