Exact quantities, then the method.
This is the spirited cousin of a hot lemon-and-honey cup: a strong mug of Hyson Lemon Infused Black Tea with 35ml of blended Scotch, two teaspoons of clear acacia honey, fresh lemon juice, a coin of fresh ginger and a single clove. Blended Scotch is the right call for a classic hot toddy (Famous Grouse, Monkey Shoulder, Dewar's; nothing peated), and a lemon-Ceylon base gives it a tannin backbone and a double hit of citrus that plain hot water and Scotch never has.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the Lemon Tea Hot Toddy (Adult, Scotch and Honey) recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/fruit-tea/lemon-tea-hot-toddy-adult-scotch-and-honey/
Temperature is the thing to get right. Brew the tea strong and let it drop to about 75 degrees before the Scotch goes in; much hotter and the alcohol simply boils off. Pour the Scotch into the warmed glass first, then lay the tea over the back of a spoon so it settles gently on top, and stir the honey and lemon in once the glass has cooled to around 65 degrees. It is caffeinated, so treat it as an early-evening drink rather than a nightcap.
You'll need
- 1 Hyson Lemon Infused Black Tea bag
- 250ml filtered water at a full rolling boil (100°C)
- 35ml blended Scotch (Famous Grouse, Monkey Shoulder, Dewar's; not peated)
- 2 teaspoons clear acacia or thyme honey
- 1/2 fresh lemon, juiced (about 15ml)
- 1 thin coin of fresh ginger
- 1 whole clove, optional, to stud the lemon wheel
- 1 cinnamon stick, for laying across the rim as a stirrer
- 1 thin wheel of fresh unwaxed lemon, for floating
- Glassware: 350ml heatproof handled glass (Irish Coffee glass), pre-warmed
Method
- Pre-warm the heatproof handled glass by filling with very hot tap water and emptying it just before brewing.
- Drop the Hyson Lemon Infused Black Tea bag into a small heatproof jug. Drop the thin coin of fresh ginger in beside it.
- Bring the kettle to a full rolling boil. Pour 250ml of the freshly boiled water straight in over the bag and ginger.
- Steep three minutes uncovered. Lift the bag out with a teaspoon and press it gently against the side. Leave the ginger coin in the jug; it keeps releasing warmth into the brew.
- Wait 60 seconds for the brew to cool to roughly 75 degrees (still steaming, no longer scalding to the back of a hand). This is the temperature at which Scotch can be added without losing alcohol.
- Pour the 35ml of blended Scotch into the warmed glass first. Pour the warm tea concentrate over the back of a bar spoon held just inside the rim, so the tea lays gently on top of the Scotch rather than hammering it.
- Stir the 2 teaspoons of acacia honey into the glass. Squeeze the half fresh lemon directly into the glass (about 15ml of juice). Stir gently with the cinnamon stick to combine.
- Stud the thin lemon wheel with the optional whole clove (push the clove through the lemon flesh) and float it on top of the toddy. Lay the cinnamon stick across the rim as a stirrer.
- Drink slowly. The first sips are Scotch and honey on the nose; the middle is brisk Ceylon-lemon with the ginger heat coming through; the finish is the clove warmth and the cinnamon perfume from the stirrer.
The tea it is made with, and what to make next.
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Brewed with: Hyson Lemon Infused Black Tea, 32 Tea Bags 32g
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