Earl Grey Hot Toddy Recipe: How to Make the Most Special Tea Ever | Carolina Girl Cooks (2024)

Earl Grey Hot Toddy Recipe: How to Make the Most Special Tea Ever | Carolina Girl Cooks (1)

/ / By Jennifer Glover

Have you ever met someone who doesn’t like tea? I don’t think so. Tea is one of the best beverages globally and it comes with different flavors, varieties, and aromas. One of my favorite teas is Earl Grey Hot Toddy because it has a rich flavor that will fill your senses while you are drinking it.

A hot toddy is a great way to cure what ails you, and it’s even better when you make your own. This recipe is delicious because of the honey that rounds out the flavor. The ginger provides an aromatic quality that’s soothing on sore throats, while lemon juice adds a citrus zing to bring back some vitality.

Let’s dive into it!

Step-by-step instruction to make Earl Grey Hot Toddy

Earl Grey is the perfect drink for a cold winter night. It’s spicy and flavorful but not too heavy, so you can have one after dinner without feeling weighed down or sleepy. Plus, it tastes great with honey and lemon! Imagine a cup of black tea with a hint of citrus, honey, and lemon—now add some whiskey!

Earl Grey Hot Toddy Recipe: How to Make the Most Special Tea Ever | Carolina Girl Cooks (2)

Ingredients

  • Earl Grey tea bag
  • Honey
  • Lemon juice (squeezed from one lemon)
  • Cinnamon sticks or ground cinnamon for garnish
  • Half a shot of whiskey.

Cooking instructions

  1. Use a mug and pour boiling water over the tea bags
  2. Allow steeping for three minutes. Remove the teabag from the cup, but leave it in its sleeve if you want to reuse it later
  3. Add honey or sugar to taste (we recommend one teaspoon of each). Stir until well mixed in with hot toddy mixture. Add lemon juice and stir again. You can also squeeze some fresh lemon into your drink at this point too!
    Earl Grey Hot Toddy Recipe: How to Make the Most Special Tea Ever | Carolina Girl Cooks (3)
  4. Pour whiskey on top of your earl grey concoction, stirring gently as you go so that it blends evenly throughout -or give up (whiskey is not just for drinking!)
  5. Garnish with cinnamon sticks or ground cinnamon before serving. Enjoy!

Earl Grey Hot Toddy FAQs

What whiskey is best for a hot toddy?

It’s up to you! You can use any kind of whiskey.

What is the best time of day for a hot toddy?

Anytime is good, but I recommend them in the evening after dinner or before bed when it’s cold outside.

Earl Grey Hot Toddy Recipe: How to Make the Most Special Tea Ever | Carolina Girl Cooks (4)

Do I need to put anything else in my earl grey hot toddy recipe other than tea and honey/sugar?

No, that’s all there is! A little lemon juice will help too if you want your drink less sweet. There are no set rules on what to put in an Earl Gray Hot Toddy. Experiment with different ingredient combinations until you find the perfect recipe for you.

Tips for making a special Earl Grey Hot Toddy

Put in a few slices of lemon to make the drink less sweet.

Add some honey for extra sweetness and flavor.

The best thing about these drinks is that you can tailor them to your taste by adding more or less sugar, tea/leaves, whiskey, or citrus!

Earl Grey Hot Toddy Recipe: How to Make the Most Special Tea Ever | Carolina Girl Cooks (5)

Even more, if you want to make a non-alcohol version, just replace the whiskey with black tea and add a little extra honey.

For an iced earl grey hot toddy, just put the ingredients in a large jar or pitcher over ice cubes to keep it cold!

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this recipe. You know what’s the perfect combination? Some Pear Curd Tarts with Raspberry Glaze and an Earl Grey Hot Toddy. It will put a warm glow on your face and body, while the Earl Grey hot toddy soothes you with its herbal aroma! Let me know in the comments below if you have any other questions or requests for recipes!

Thanks again – happy cooking!

Earl Grey Hot Toddy Recipe: How to Make the Most Special Tea Ever | Carolina Girl Cooks (6)

  • Author
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Jennifer Glover

I’m Jennifer, the writer, recipe developer and photographer behind this site. I love food! I dream in food! I started CGC in October of 2011 as a way to catalog the constant thoughts of food that float through my mind. The best part of my day is dancing around my kitchen to music, singing my lungs out, while creating and photographing dishes inspired from years of travel, mixed with good ole southern culture to share with you. Thanks for reading and I hope you keep coming back for more recipes, travel bits and a dash of this and that... Cheers!

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Earl Grey Hot Toddy Recipe: How to Make the Most Special Tea Ever | Carolina Girl Cooks (2024)

FAQs

Is Earl Grey better with sugar or honey? ›

Tips for making a special Earl Grey Hot Toddy

Add some honey for extra sweetness and flavor. The best thing about these drinks is that you can tailor them to your taste by adding more or less sugar, tea/leaves, whiskey, or citrus!

What makes a good Earl Grey tea? ›

Aroma: A good Earl Grey tea should have a fresh and citrusy aroma, with a distinctive bergamot scent. Flavor: The tea should have a smooth and balanced flavor, with a strong bergamot taste that is not too overpowering. The tea should also have a good balance between the tea and the bergamot flavor.

What ingredient in Earl Grey tea makes it unique? ›

The prime flavoring in Earl Grey tea is bergamot, a type of citrus fruit with similarities to the Meyer lemon, Chatterton says. "The flavor profile comes across very floral, with a distinct lemony citrus and a little bit of grapefruit," he adds.

What happens if I drink Earl Grey tea everyday? ›

Research has shown that Earl Grey Tea works to improve cholesterol and blood pressure. A study in Preventative Medicine showed that enjoying three cups of Earl Grey a day encourages the production of HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol, and triglycerides in your body.

What is in lady grey tea? ›

Lady Grey tea is a lightly flavored black tea blend infused with orange and lemon peel and hints of bergamot oil essence. It is traditionally made with black teas from China, Africa, and India, and flavored with fragrant bergamot oil from cultivated citrus trees in Calabria, Italy.

How long do you leave Earl Grey tea in? ›

Brewing Earl Grey tea.

Try brewing for 3-4 minutes black, or 4-5 minutes with milk. Your tea will start tasting bitter if it's left to brew for too long so if you fancy a stronger cup, add some more tea leaves.

Should you add anything to Earl Grey tea? ›

However, when it comes to Earl Grey tea, people have different preparation preferences. In England, most people take it with some sugar and lemon. But in North America, it's become common to take Earl Grey with a splash of milk.

Does Earl Grey tea raise blood sugar? ›

While you cannot dream of adding sugar to your tea if you have diabetes, you can continue to have your English Breakfast or Earl Grey without any worry. These teas fall in the category of black tea which is considered to be good for diabetic patients because it has blood sugar lowering qualities.

What sweetener goes well with Earl Grey tea? ›

Earl Grey Iced Tea Ingredients

You can use as much or little honey as you like for your desired sweetness. You can even substitute with your favorite sweetener, like sugar or stevia. Ice: For serving. Lemon Wedges and Mint Leaves: Optional, for serving.

Is Earl Grey tea better for you than black tea? ›

If you do prefer black tea, though, which is healthier: plain black tea, or Earl Grey? The answer is Earl Grey, which has the added benefit of bergamot oil, the source of bergamottin, a phytonutrient that beat out two dozen other phytonutrients last year in a test of human stomach lining protection.

What are the side effects of Earl Grey tea? ›

Potential Risks of Earl Grey Tea

Caffeine has been demonstrated to likely have an anxiety heightening effect on adults. Caffeine has also been linked to lack of sleep, a common exacerbator of depression. Earl Grey tea consumed at extremely high levels may interfere with your body's ability to process potassium.

What Earl Grey tea does Starbucks use? ›

We take a strong black tea base and add the essence of bergamot, a citrus fruit with subtle lemon notes and lavender aromas, to create this aromatically awesome tea flavour.

Which tea has the most caffeine? ›

Black tea caffeine: Black tea typically has the highest caffeine content among teas. Oolong tea caffeine: Oolong tea generally has less caffeine than black tea, but more than green or white tea. Green tea caffeine: Green tea usually has less caffeine than black or oolong tea.

How do you spice up Earl Grey? ›

Rather, it's the essential oils extracted from the rind or the rind itself that's used in Earl Grey tea. Bergamot orange gives Earl Grey tea its distinguishing citrusy flavor. (Farmers Almanac 2021). Add a little vanilla and milk in Earl Grey tea to take this flavorful sipper to a whole other level.

What flavors go best with Earl Grey? ›

Tying into Earl Grey's signature taste, citrus zests and floral accents are two marvelous add-ons to use.

Should I put honey in Earl Grey tea? ›

Earl Grey Iced Tea Ingredients

You can use as much or little honey as you like for your desired sweetness. You can even substitute with your favorite sweetener, like sugar or stevia.

References

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