Cold Toddy
A refreshing twist on the classic hot toddy, this chilled cocktail combines rye whiskey with Earl Grey tea, citrus, honey, and warming spices. Perfect for sophisticated summer entertaining.
Ingredients
- •1 whole medium orange
- •5½ whole medium lemons
- •4 whole cinnamon sticks
- •1 piece ginger
- •4 bags Earl Grey tea bags
- •1 tsp whole cloves
- •⅔ cup honey
- •2 cups rye whiskey
- •1 tsp orange or regular bitters
- •8 twists orange twists
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Using a vegetable peeler, remove zest from orange and 1 lemon in wide strips, leaving white pith behind; slice fruit in half. Squeeze juice from orange into a small bowl (you should have about 1/4 cup). Squeeze juice from lemon into a measuring glass. Slice remaining lemons in half and squeeze juice into glass to measure 1 cup total; save any remaining lemon halves for another use. Set orange and lemon juice aside.
10 min
- 2.
Place zest in a small saucepan. Whack cinnamon sticks with the side of a chef's knife to break up a little and add to saucepan along with smashed ginger, tea bags, cloves, and 1 3/4 cups water. Bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat; let sit 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, then stir in honey; let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
25 min
- 3.
Strain tea mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher and add rye, bitters, and reserved orange juice and lemon juice. Add 2 cups ice and stir until ice is melted and toddy is very cold.
5 min
- 4.
To serve, pour toddy into tumblers filled with ice and garnish with ginger slices and orange twists.
5 min
- 5.
Tea mixture can be made 3 days ahead; cover and chill. Toddy can be made 1 day ahead; cover and chill.