Spicy Ginger Hot Toddy Recipe

By
Andrea Lynn
Andrea Lynn

Andrea Lynn is a food writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer. The former senior food editor for Chile Pepper Magazine, she contributed weekly columns on cooking with heat for Serious Eats.

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Updated February 25, 2025
A metal tray with two ginger hot toddies served in glass mugs with lemon slices

Serious Eats / Two Bites

When it gets cold out and my nose gets sniffly, I happily turn to the warming power of a hot toddy. My standby recipe is from a friend for hot buttered rum that combines lemon juice, maple sugar, rum, boiling water and is dotted with a pat of butter.

But I wanted to add a spicy element to the mix. Inspired by a post by this post on The Kitchn, I made a ginger tea and doctored it up with rum. What's good about using a ginger tea as a base for the hot toddy is that you can make it as mild or spicy as you desire.

If you want just a slight ginger flavor, only boil the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes. But for me, who is addicted to that tiny ginger burn at the back of the throat that a large hit of ginger can provide, I boil the ginger tea for up to 20 minutes. Add in rum or bourbon, and you have a wintry holiday treat to warm you up or clear the congestion of a cold.

Recipe Details

Spicy Ginger Hot Toddy Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 20 mins
Active 5 mins
Total 25 mins
Serves 2 servings
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups water

  • 1 (1/2-inch) ginger root, thinly sliced

  • 4 to 6 cloves

  • 1 lemon, halved

  • Honey, as needed

  • Rum or bourbon, as needed

  • Lemon slices, as garnish

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan, add water, gingerroot slices and cloves. Squeeze lemon juice into the saucepan, adding lemon halves into the liquid. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce to medium heat, so the liquid is bubbling. Cook for 10 to 20 minutes, until the mixture has reduced and has enough of a gingery taste to your liking. Strain, removing cloves, lemon halves and ginger from the liquid. Pour into two mugs. Add enough honey and rum or bourbon to your tastes. Garnish with lemon slices, and serve.

    A grid of four photos showing how to make a ginger hot toddy. The first photo shows lemon juice being squeezed into a pot with gingerroot slices and whole cloves in water. The second photo shows the ginger-clove liquid being poured through a metal strainer. The third photo shows the ginger-infused mixture being poured into a glass mug. The last photo shows a hand adding rum to the glass mug.

    Serious Eats / Two Bites
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
44 Calories
0g Fat
13g Carbs
1g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 44
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 12mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 35mg 177%
Calcium 23mg 2%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 111mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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