How to Mix a Simple Hot Tea and Whiskey

Co-authored by Mimi Perryman

Last Updated: January 17, 2023 References

Sometimes called a hot toddy, mixing whiskey with hot tea can create a delicious and comforting drink. Tea and whiskey are both drinks common in the British Isles and other cultures, so why not mix them together? Some people also believe the drink is good for when you have a cold.

Ingredients

Tea bag
Water
Honey
Cinnamon stick (optional)
Whiskey
Lemon slices

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Getting Your Tea Ready

1
Choose your favorite tea. Most teas, even the cheapest varieties, have light enough flavors that you will still be able to taste the whiskey. Some people recommend black or chamomile tea for this drink.
- Choose your favorite tea, as all flavors can work, though.^{[1]
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  Research source} Coffee doesn’t work as well. The coffee taste is too strong, so it camouflages the whiskey too much. What you’re trying to do is to enhance the tea’s flavor.
- Recommended tea include ginger, earl grey, peppermint, hibiscus, or chamomile.
- Some people even use cheaper tea bags such as Lipton. If you are drinking the tea at night, you might try a gentler tea like chamomile.
- If it’s afternoon, you may want to choose a higher caffeine black tea. Decaffeinated tea works too.
2
Boil water for the tea. Before you put the tea in the water, you need to get the water hot enough to make tea.
- Boil or almost water either in a teapot, in a pot, or even in the microwave, and then pour it into a mug. Using a teapot is the classic method.
- Some teas have fragile leaves, such as white and green varieties. You will want to keep water temperature below boiling for those teas, at between 170 and 185 degrees Fahrenheit (or between 76.7 and 85 degrees Celsius).
- Oolong teas need hotter water, at should be brewed at between 180 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit Or between 82 and 87.7 degrees Celsius). Black and herbal teas require the hottest water, at between 208 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit (or between 97.7 and 100 degrees Celsius).^{[2]
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3
Make tea without bags. Teabags can be harmful to the environment. You could also make tea with loose leaves if you don’t want to use tea bags.
- You could actually put the tea leaves into a coffee maker to make tea this way.^{[3]
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  Research source}You need about 1 tablespoon for every cup of water. Simply put the tea leaves in the coffee filter.
- Make your own tea bag with cheesecloth. Cut a square of the cheesecloth, and put your loose tea inside of it. Tie up the bag, add it to the cup of hot water, and let it brew for several minutes. You can reuse the tea cloth.
- Use a strainer (sometimes called a tea leaf infuser). These come in different sizes. Measure the tea for the right amount you want to make. Place the tea in the infuser. Put the infuser in the tea cup. Some infusers are ball-shaped, and others resemble spoons.
4
Steep the tea. After you've boiled the water, you will need to steep the tea in the water.
- Place a tea bag into the mug with hot water. You want to give the tea bag time to turn the water into tea.^{[4]
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  Research source} Different teas brew for different amounts of times. For example, it takes about 1 to 3 minutes to steep white tea but about 3 to 4 minutes to steep black tea.^{[5]
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- If you want more than one drink, use the teapot or regular saucepan if you don’t have a kettle. Fill the mug about three fourths of the way full to leave space for the whiskey.
- You may want to use a glass measuring cup to pour the water. Be careful if using boiling water in a saucepan. You risk the water spilling more than if using a kettle with a spout. Don't worry about the alcohol evaporating. Alcohol doesn't boil until 173 degrees Fahrenheit (or 78.3 degrees Celsius), and most cooking methods don't cook off all the alcohol.^{[6]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Adding Whiskey and Other Ingredients Into the Tea

1
Put the whiskey into the tea. One way you can do this is to take one or two shots of whiskey, and pour them into a one-liter teapot as the water boils.
- Many people use Jack Daniels whiskey when making this drink, but any type of whiskey works. You could also make a mug of tea and then add a single shot of whiskey in it to taste. You could also use 60ml (.24 metric cups) whiskey for 60ml water, basically an even split.
- Some recipes call for 1 ½ ounces of whiskey (50 ml) for every 1 cup of hot water (250ml) and 1 tea bag. How much whiskey you use, though, depends on how much of an alcohol taste you want or can tolerate.
- Irish whiskey can be a good choice because it lacks smoke and has a sweet candy-like flavor. This will add sophistication to even the cheapest teas. This is also a great drink in winter weather or over the holidays.
2
Add lemon and honey. In the classic hot toddy drink, you add lemon and honey along with the tea and the whiskey. You can leave these elements out if you want, of course.
- The honey is a sweetener that helps a sore throat. You may want to add 1 to 2 slices of lemon and 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey into the drink. Let the slices of lemon float in the top of the tea cup. If you have a sore throat or are sick, breathe in the steam.
- Stir the drink. Some people pour the honey into the bottom of the mug and then pour the hot water on top of it.^{[7]
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- Many people believe that hot toddies can help cure the common cold.^{[8]
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  Research source} You don’t need to add the extras to the drink if you want, although they all have their purpose. For example, honey is often added to a hot toddy for its soothing properties.^{[9]
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3
Add in some spice. It depends on your personal taste, but some recipes for hot toddies call for adding some spice to the tea.^{[10]
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- For example, you could add in a grating of nutmeg after making the tea or a 1cm (.39 inch) piece of ginger that you’ve peeled or sliced.
- Some people put a cinnamon stick into the glass after making the drink. Let the cinnamon stick stand in the mug for a few minutes to infuse it with the taste.
- Some people also add white sugar or milk to their whiskey and tea. One teaspoon of white sugar is about all you would need for a single mug of tea.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Using Other Ingredients

1
Try using cold green tea. Although the classic combination is hot tea and whiskey, you can also make a variation of the drink using cold or iced green tea.
- Cold green tea mixed with whiskey is considered by some to be a drink common in China. Some people put Irish whiskey, sweet bourbons or scotches into iced green tea instead. You could also use iced tea.
- Green tea is a neutral enough flavor, which is why mixing it with whiskey can spice it up. However, it’s not the classic way to make the drink.
- Really, you should try variations that play to your tastes. There is not one single way to make a drink, so play around and be creative!
2
Put other liquor into the tea. Although combining whiskey with hot tea is a great way to make a drink, if you don’t have any whiskey around or don’t like its flavor, you could try other hard liquor.
- Scotch mixed with Earl Grey tea is one combination you might want to try. You could also mix Bourbon or Scotch with tea. Some people make the drink with brandy.^{[11]
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- Gunpowder teas have a smoky flavor that goes well with a full-bodied and equally smoky Scotch. There are many different types of hard liquor you can mix with hot tea.
3
Go without tea. Maybe you want a hot toddy but you are trying to avoid caffeine or simply don’t like the taste of tea. There are variations of this hot whiskey drink without tea.
- Place 2 ounces (.05 kilogram) of whiskey in a large microwaveable mug. Add 1 tablespoon of honey and pour hot water into the mug.
- You could try using hot cider instead of tea. The process works the same way. This is a good variation for people trying to stay away from caffeine.
- Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Now, place the mug in the microwave for 1 minute and take it out when it is piping hot. Add a lemon slice and drink.^{[12]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can you make the drink with coffee?

Community Answer

Yes, this is a drink sometimes called Irish Coffee. Just add a shot of whiskey to your coffee. Sometimes, people top it off with thick cream.
Question

Is it sometimes spelled hot totty?

Community Answer

Yes. It depends on where you are located. It is also referred to as hot toddy, hot tottie, and hot whisky.
Question

Is it sometimes spelled hot totty?

Community Answer

Yes, you can spell the drink hot toddy, hot totty, hot tottie, or just say hot whiskey.