Exact quantities, then the method.
This is a winter hot toddy built on Pukka Lemon, Ginger and Manuka Honey: the blend's Indian ginger root and Sicilian lemon peel give a cleaner spice backbone than the lemon-and-honey-from-a-jar version, and bourbon's vanilla and oak drop straight into that flavour map. Served in a warmed, heatproof handled glass with star anise on top.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the Pukka Lemon Ginger Bourbon Toddy recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/cocktails/pukka-lemon-ginger-bourbon-toddy/
Brew it concentrated, then let it cool to about 75C before the bourbon goes in, so you don't scorch off the alcohol. It uses Pukka Organic Lemon, Ginger and Manuka Honey, with an alcohol-free swap at the end.
You'll need
- 1 Pukka Organic Lemon, Ginger and Manuka Honey tea bag
- 150ml filtered water at a full rolling boil (100°C)
- 35ml bourbon (Bulleit, Maker's Mark, Woodford Reserve all work; avoid anything peated)
- 1 teaspoon runny honey (Manuka if you have it, ordinary clear honey is fine)
- 1 thin half wheel of fresh unwaxed lemon, pips removed
- 1 whole star anise (the warm liquorice note bridges bourbon and ginger)
- 1 thin slice of fresh ginger, optional, for extra heat
- Glassware: a heatproof handled glass (Irish Coffee glass) or thick-walled tumbler, pre-warmed
Method
- Pre-warm the heatproof glass by filling it with very hot tap water, then emptying it just before you brew. A cold glass takes the temperature down fast and cracks the flavour open in the wrong way.
- Bring 150ml filtered water to a full rolling boil. Drop the Lemon, Ginger and Manuka Honey bag (and the optional slice of fresh ginger) into a small jug or mug and pour the water straight over. Cover with a saucer and steep for six minutes off the heat. Concentrated and covered: the ginger needs the longer time and the manuka aroma stays in the cup.
- Lift the bag out and press it gently against the side of the jug with the back of a teaspoon. Stir in the teaspoon of honey while the concentrate is still hot so it dissolves cleanly.
- Let the concentrate cool for a minute, to roughly 75 degrees (steam still rising but no longer scalding to the back of the hand). This is the point where bourbon goes in; pouring it into a fresh-off-the-boil cup boils the alcohol off and turns it into watery wood juice.
- Pour the 35ml of bourbon into the warmed glass first, then slowly pour the hot concentrate over the back of a teaspoon held just inside the rim. The spoon stops the bourbon getting hammered by the hot stream and keeps the layers warm-mixed rather than scorched.
- Stir once with the long spoon, just enough to combine. Float the half lemon wheel on top and balance the whole star anise on the lemon. Serve immediately, with the handle to the right for a right-handed drinker (the glass is hot).
- Alcohol-free swap: omit the bourbon. Replace with 35ml warm apple juice plus a quarter teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (the vinegar gives back the woody acidity bourbon was providing). Everything else stays the same. The drink is still a hot toddy, just one without the proof.
The tea it is made with, and what to make next.
Want the background, not just the brew?
Brewed with: Pukka Organic Lemon, Ginger and Manuka Honey, 20 Tea Bags 34g
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