Hot Toddy: Evening Wind Down

Hi, friends! Happy Monday, April + Q2 to you all! I finally feel like I am coming out of the fog of a crazy few months and seeing a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel *praise hands*. There’s less than a month left of the semester, work has slowed down a ton and the days are getting longer. If you have been following me over the past few months, you’ll know just how excited I have been to get to this point of the year and now that I’m back + the creative juices are flowing, I’m excited to share my most recent favorite drink recipe. Over on Instagram, I have a new highlight dedicated to drinks featuring this one I can’t get enough of: Nearest Hot Toddy!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been searching for more Black-owned liquor and mixer companies. Uncle Nearest, small batch whiskey made in Tennessee, was recommended by so many of you and I 100% see why. Even if you are not a whiskey drinker, I would consider this to be a potential favorite. It’s smooth, bold and perfectly matched for a hot toddy. If you want to spice (or spike) up your evening tea, adding a tea bag to my hot toddy recipe will serve you well.

My twist on the Hot Toddy

1. Fill mug or cup half way with hot water. If you have a Keurig or espresso maker, use that to get hot water instead of boiling or heating. That will make the process much quicker and less to clean later.
2. Drop in a cinnamon here or place cinnamon stick to the side to stir
3. Add preferred amounts of honey then stir with cinnamon stick or spoon. I personally love honey so I add about 8-10 seconds worth of a pour. For less honey, use a 3-4 second pour or measure 2 spoonfuls.
4. Add in fresh squeeze lemon and stir again.
5. Add 1-1.5oz of Uncle Nearest whiskey. Stir then sip for taste. If I feel like I need more honey or lemon, I’ll add in here then stir and drop the cinnamon stick inside the glass.
6. For an extra cinnamon twist, sprinkle ground cinnamon on top then allow to sit for 2 minutes.
7. If you wanted to add tea to the drink, you can add at the end for a “weak” tea or add before the whiskey for a “strong” tea. You can also steep the tea by covering the top of the glass for 2-3 minutes after you complete each step.

And just like that, you have your Nearest Hot Toddy! This has easily become one of my favorite drinks because it’s calming at the end of the day and simple enough to make in a pinch. In other recipes, I have seen the order of ingredients vary with some not including cinnamon at all. So far, my above steps + ingredients have given me the best drink that feels smooth to the sip but bold enough to help me wind down.

If you guys decide to try this drink at home, I would LOVE to know what you think. Thanks so much for reading -xo, Azanique <3