A hot toddy is the kind of enticing thing you read about in books when you're a kid, like baked alaska, or Turkish delight - it sounds so amazing that the name sticks with you, even though you have no clue what's in it or how it might taste.
I have heard from friends that grew up in cold places that this is often served after winter sports like ice fishing and skiiing. I grew up in California, so I never had this until recently, when I had a bottle of bourbon on hand and the wind was whistling outside. It's the perfect drink for a cold night in front of the fireplace, snuggled up to someone special... or a good book!
Yield: 2 cocktails
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons honey
2 cups hot water
3/4 cup bourbon (I used Maker's Mark)
2 lemon peels
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise cloves
Directions:
Heat the water on the stove, in a teapot, or in the microwave. Mix in the honey until it dissolves. Add the bourbon and divide between two rocks glasses.
Add a strip of prepared lemon peel and the star anise to each cocktail. Stir the drinks with the cinnamon sticks, drop in, and
serve. Cheers!