Slow-Cooker Star Anise–Black Pepper Hot Toddy

Name: Slow-Cooker Star Anise–Black Pepper Hot Toddy
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 5 whole whole star anise; 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns; 8 bags black tea bags; ¾ cup honey, plus more to taste; 2 sticks cinnamon sticks; ¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste; 2 cups rye whiskey; 1 to taste Lemon zest twists or lemon wheels; 1 piece slow cooker and cheesecloth

A warming and aromatic hot toddy made with rye whiskey, black tea, and spices including star anise, black peppercorns, and cinnamon. This slow-cooked cocktail is perfect for cold winter evenings or entertaining a crowd.

8 servings

5 hr 10 min

Published October 4, 2025

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Ingredients

•5 whole whole star anise
•2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
•8 bags black tea bags
•¾ cup honey, plus more to taste
•2 sticks cinnamon sticks
•¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
•2 cups rye whiskey
•1 to taste Lemon zest twists or lemon wheels
•1 piece slow cooker and cheesecloth

Cooking Instructions

1.
Put the star anise and peppercorns on a piece of cheesecloth and tie it into a bundle using kitchen twine or a thin strip of cheesecloth. (This makes it easier to serve without getting black peppercorns in your cup, but if you don't have cheesecloth, don't worry-just put the spices into the slow cooker.) Put the bundle into a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add 10 cups water, the tea bags, honey, and cinnamon sticks. Cover and cook until the mixture tastes like good tea, about 2 hours on HIGH.
120 min
2.
Reduce the heat to WARM. Pull out the tea bags, squeeze them over the pot to extract their liquid, and discard. Stir in the lemon juice and whiskey. Taste and add more honey or lemon juice if you feel it needs it. Serve from the slow cooker, still set on WARM, in mugs garnished with lemon zest twists or lemon wheels.
10 min
3.
Holds well on warm
180 min

Ingredients

•5 whole whole star anise

•2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns

•8 bags black tea bags

•¾ cup honey, plus more to taste

•2 sticks cinnamon sticks

•¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste

•2 cups rye whiskey

•1 to taste Lemon zest twists or lemon wheels

•1 piece slow cooker and cheesecloth

Cooking Instructions

Put the star anise and peppercorns on a piece of cheesecloth and tie it into a bundle using kitchen twine or a thin strip of cheesecloth. (This makes it easier to serve without getting black peppercorns in your cup, but if you don't have cheesecloth, don't worry-just put the spices into the slow cooker.) Put the bundle into a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add 10 cups water, the tea bags, honey, and cinnamon sticks. Cover and cook until the mixture tastes like good tea, about 2 hours on HIGH.

120 min

Reduce the heat to WARM. Pull out the tea bags, squeeze them over the pot to extract their liquid, and discard. Stir in the lemon juice and whiskey. Taste and add more honey or lemon juice if you feel it needs it. Serve from the slow cooker, still set on WARM, in mugs garnished with lemon zest twists or lemon wheels.

10 min

Holds well on warm

180 min