Jeff's Cure-Me-Up Toddy

“It’s basically medicine,” says Jeff. Unfortunately, this is not medicine. It is, however, a delicious version of a hot toddy that will have you feeling warm and cozy in a hurry. The recipe uses the same Honey Chai Syrup from the Chai Daiquiri, so if you already have that on hand, you’re well on your way to toddy town.

Yield: the infused whiskey will be enough for about 12 hot toddy cocktails

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Ingredients

For the Toddy-Infused Whiskey:

• 1 (750 mL) bottle of whiskey, preferably bonded (100 proof or higher)

  • We suggest Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon or Old Grand-Dad Bonded Bourbon

• 4 lemons

• 3 cinnamon sticks

• 4-6 star anise pods

• 8 green cardamom pods

• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

• Vegetable peeler (a Y-peeler is recommended)

For the Honey Chai Syrup:

• 1 1/2 cups water

• 6 bags chai tea

• 1 1/2 cups honey

For Jeff’s Cure-Me-Up Toddy (recipe per 1 cocktail):

• 2 oz. Toddy-Infused Whiskey

• 1 oz. Honey Chai Syrup

• Hot water (about 6-8 oz., depending on the size of your mug)

• 1 cinnamon stick (for grating over the top as garnish)

Instructions

For the Toddy-Infused Whiskey:

Transfer the whiskey to a wide-mouth carafe or other suitable storage container for infusing (bowl, pitcher, etc. - glass is preferred). Using the vegetable peeler, remove the lemon peel from all four lemons in strips and drop the strips into the whiskey. Try to peel the lemons over the top of the whiskey container to allow the released lemon oils to fall into the whiskey as well. Avoid removing the pith of the lemon with the peel.

Cover and place the whiskey mixture in the fridge for 3-5 days. Take a small taste the whiskey on days 3 and 4. If the lemon seems about where you may like it (it should have a prominent, but smooth citrus note), then you’re ready to add the other spices. Add the cinnamon sticks and star anise to the whiskey mixture. Give the green cardamom pods and black peppercorns a light crush (using a mortar and pestle, or the side of your knife) and add them to the mixture as well. Allow the whiskey to continue infusing in the fridge with the lemon peel and spices for another 24 hours. We infused our whiskey for a total of 5 days (4 with just lemon peels, and 1 extra day with the lemon peel and other spices).

Strain the whiskey through a fine mesh strainer to remove the lemon peel and spices. Store the Toddy-Infused Whiskey in an air-tight container in the fridge (fridge storage may not be entirely necessary, but we play it safe around here).

For the Honey Chai Syrup:

Bring the water to a boil and steep the tea bags for about 6 minutes. Remove the tea bags and stir in the honey. Transfer the mixture to an air-tight container and store in the fridge up to three weeks. Shake well before using.

For Jeff’s Cure-Me-Up Toddy:

It’s toddy time! In a mug, combine 2 oz. of the Toddy-Infused Whiskey with 1 oz. of the Honey Chai Syrup. Top with about 6-8 oz. of hot water (depending on the size of your mug and how strong you’d like your toddy). Using a Microplane Grater and the cinnamon stick, grate a little fresh cinnamon over the top for garnish.

Jeff’s Cure-Me-Up Toddy - A hot toddy made with a toddy-infused whiskey and honey chai syrup.