Spiced Apple Cinnamon Tea Toddy
A warm, bourbon-spiked toddy built on strong apple cinnamon black tea, lemon, and honey — with an easy non-alcoholic mocktail version for an afternoon caffeine boost instead.
Apple cinnamon black tea was practically made for a hot toddy. The tea itself already supplies the warming spice and fruit notes that bartenders normally have to build from scratch with syrups and bitters, so this version comes together with very little extra effort.
A modest pour of bourbon plays well with the cinnamon and malt base, echoing the barrel-aged sweetness already present in many bourbons. Fresh lemon juice keeps the drink from feeling flat or one-note, cutting through the honey's sweetness.
Brew the tea strong for this one — about double the usual leaf-to-water ratio — since the bourbon, lemon, and honey will all dilute and soften the final flavor. A weak base tea gets lost; a strong one holds its own all the way to the bottom of the mug.
For a non-alcoholic version, skip the bourbon entirely and add a splash of apple cider and a pinch of extra cinnamon instead. The mocktail keeps all the same warming, spiced character — and because the tea itself carries moderate caffeine, it still works as an afternoon pick-me-up rather than a purely after-dinner sipper.
Ingredients
- 1 cup strong-brewed apple cinnamon black tea, hot
- 45 ml bourbon (omit for mocktail; add 30 ml apple cider instead)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 thin apple slice, for garnish
- Pinch of ground cinnamon, for garnish
How to make it
- 1Brew the tea extra strong (double the usual amount of leaf) and keep it hot.
- 2In a heatproof mug, stir honey and lemon juice together until the honey loosens.
- 3Pour the hot tea over the honey-lemon mixture and stir until fully dissolved.
- 4Add bourbon and stir gently (for the mocktail, add apple cider instead and stir).
- 5Garnish with a cinnamon stick, a thin apple slice, and a pinch of ground cinnamon. Serve immediately while hot.
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