Great-Grandma Rav’s Gin Hot Tea Toddy
After a chilly winter day, relax with a comforting gin hot tea toddy. This simple drink blends soothing chamomile, sweet honey, and sour lemon with gin for a tasty nightcap perfect for sipping.
My dad recalls this recipe from his grandmother, my Great-Grandma Rav. She was a constantly busy lady, raising 6 kids, gardening to provide fresh and preserved food and preparing box lunches for the town’s coal miners.
She allowed herself few luxuries, but when she wasn’t feeling well, she added a jigger of gin to her traditional chamomile and honey tea. Even this was not without hard work, as she grew and harvested chamomile to make her own tea. My dad recalls watching the dried flowers swirl in her cup in what seemed to take an eternity, but was likely only a few minutes. Now, a tea bag does the hard work.
Turns out she was onto something, each of the ingredients in Great-Grandma Rav’s toddy contributes to feeling a bit better, with soothing, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and vitamin C benefits. However, omit the alcohol when taking any over-the-counter and prescription medications.
This hot tea toddy is also a great evening drink without the alcohol. My kids love the alcohol-free version of Great-Grandma Rav’s tea, which is just tea but with an added family story. We cool the kids’ tea with ice cubes and test temperature before they drink. Research and use your judgment on the appropriate age for kids to have tea, honey, and warm drinks.
Enjoy a gin hot tea toddy with a bowl of rosemary Parmesan popcorn.
More tasty cocktails:
Great-Grandma Rav’s Gin Hot Tea Toddy Ingredients
Chamomile: Chamomile, a lovely floral herbal tea, is also a natural sleep remedy. Many elements of Great-Grandma Rav’s gin hot tea toddy remain unchanged over the past 70 years, except we use a tea bag instead of garden-grown chamomile.
If you don’t enjoy chamomile or want to try another flavor, try any herbal, decaffeinated tea that blends well with lemon. We’ve enjoyed a gin hot toddy made with lemon, ginger, and orange herbal tea, or a citrus ginger blend.
Honey: Honey’s rich sweetness is soothing and comforting.
Lemon: Fresh squeezed lemon is a must for the gin hot tea toddy. We add a heavy dose of lemon to our hot tea toddy, giving a zingy counter to the sweet from honey.
Gin: Gin’s botanical and bright tones blend well with lemon and honey. Substituting whiskey gives another twist to this hot tea toddy, imparting a spicy, woody flavor.
Experiment with Whole Spices and Herbs
Add whole spices and herbs with the tea bag for another flavor note. Let steep for 3-5 minutes to add a subtle hint of flavor. Lemon can overpower or clash with these flavors, so experiment with adding or omitting the lemon. Play with combinations; we like cinnamon with ginger.
Cinnamon Stick: Cinnamon adds a warm, sweet, woody, spicy component to the gin hot tea toddy. Add 1 stick, broken in 2-3 pieces to mug before adding hot water.
Ginger: Ginger adds a zingy warmth and spice. Add 2 slices of fresh (or defrosted) ginger to the mug and muddle before adding hot water. Ginger root freezes well. Place whole peeled root in freezer safe container and use as needed.
Lemongrass: We grew lemongrass this year, enjoying the citrus and slightly minty flavors in iced tea, sautéed chicken, and soup. Add 2-3 stalks washed and cut into 2″ sections. Muddle in mug before adding hot water.
Make Great-Grandma Rav’s Gin Hot Tea Toddy
1 cup water
1 bag Chamomile tea
1 tablespoon honey, to taste
½ freshly squeezed lemon (approximately 2 tablespoons lemon juice)
1 1/2 ounces gin
Steep tea according to tea instructions or follow these steps. Pour hot water over tea bag into mug, leaving enough room to add gin. Use a pre-warmed or heavy mug to retain heat.
Add honey and lemon. Stir until honey dissolves into hot water.
Steep 3-5 minutes or to desired taste. Then add gin and stir. Garnish with a round of lemon and enjoy.
Let us know how you enjoyed sipping this gin hot tea toddy on a chilly evening.
Gin Hot Tea Toddy
As winter brings shorter and colder days, warm up the evening with a gin hot toddy. This family recipe from my great-grandma combines chamomile, lemon, honey and gin for a soothing, tasty nightcap.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 bag Chamomile tea
- 1 tablespoon honey, to taste
- ½ freshly squeezed lemon (approximately 2 tablespoons lemon juice)
- 1 1/2 ounces gin
Instructions
- Steep tea according to tea instructions or follow these steps. Pour hot water over tea bag into mug, leaving enough room to add gin. Use a pre-warmed or heavy mug to retain heat.
- Add honey and lemon. Stir until honey dissolves into hot water.
- Steep 3-5 minutes or to desired taste. Then add gin and stir. Garnish with a round of lemon and enjoy.
