Drink recipe · 1 drink
Bourbon Apple Cider Hot Toddy
Researched · Researched formulation
Warm bourbon apple cider hot toddy: 1½ oz bourbon, hot cider, honey, and lemon—with batch and mocktail notes. Researched, not kitchen-tested.
By DrinkKnird · November 14, 2026
Next: holiday cocktails · what can I make · scale with the batch calculator · bar tools guide
A hot toddy is usually liquor, hot water, honey, and lemon. Swapping hot water for apple cider keeps the restorative mug format and adds orchard sweetness that sits well next to turkey, stuffing, and pie.
DrinkKnird’s researched serve uses about 1½ ounces bourbon, ½ cup hot apple cider, a teaspoon of honey, and fresh lemon—proportions that align with widely published apple-cider hot toddy builds. Heat the cider until steaming; do not boil hard after the bourbon goes in, or you drive off aroma.
For another warm cider-friendly pour, see [hot buttered rum](/hot-buttered-rum-with-cider-or-water). This page is researched for home use and is not kitchen-tested at DrinkKnird.
- Spirit
- bourbon
- Glass
- heatproof mug
- Garnish
- lemon slice; optional cinnamon stick
- Alcohol
- alcoholic
Contains alcohol. Intended for adults of legal drinking age. Please drink responsibly.
Recipe
Drink recipe
Yield: 1 drink
Original yield: 1 drink
Scales ingredient amounts only. Temperatures, times, ratios, and instruction text stay as written. Saved and printed copies keep the original recipe amounts.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces (45 ml) bourbon
- ½ cup (120 ml) apple cider
- 1 teaspoon honey (or maple syrup)
- 1 lemon wedge, plus a thin lemon slice for garnish
- Optional: 1 cinnamon stick and 2–3 whole cloves while warming the cider
- Optional garnish: cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Warm the apple cider in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming. If using cinnamon and cloves, add them while the cider heats, then strain.
- Add bourbon and honey to a heatproof mug.
- Pour in the hot cider and stir until the honey dissolves.
- Squeeze in the lemon wedge, taste, and adjust honey or lemon.
- Garnish with a lemon slice and optional cinnamon stick. Serve hot.
Make-ahead
- Warm spiced cider up to 1 hour ahead and keep just below a simmer. Add bourbon and lemon in the mug at serve so alcohol aroma stays bright.
Notes
- Use fresh apple cider when you can; clear apple juice works but tastes lighter.
- Do not boil the finished drink hard—steam the cider, then combine.
- Alcohol-free: omit bourbon and add a splash of strong black tea or extra cider with a drop of vanilla.
- Batch for 8: warm 4 cups cider with spices; stir in 1½ cups bourbon and 4 tablespoons honey off the heat; finish each mug with lemon.
- Physical kitchen testing still useful for honey level with your cider brand.
Why this recipe works
Cider replaces hot water in the classic toddy structure, so sweetness and spice come from the base while bourbon, honey, and lemon stay adjustable.
food Safety
Serve hot drinks hot. Do not leave a spiked cider pot in the temperature danger zone for casual all-day sipping without reheating safely; keep a warm pot steaming or make fresh mugs.
Recipe sources & development
Researched formulation
Researched home formulation aligning to common 1½ oz bourbon + ½ cup cider + honey + lemon cider toddy builds.
Why this formulation: A standard toddy spirit measure over a half-cup hot base keeps the drink sipable; honey and lemon correct sweetness and acid.
Other approaches: Some recipes simmer spirits with cider for a crowd or split bourbon with apple brandy. This page keeps a single-mug build and adds batch notes separately.
Adaptation credit: Classic hot-toddy structure with apple cider substituted for hot water; proportions cross-checked against published cider hot toddy builds
Developed from published sources; not yet kitchen-tested by DrinkKnird.
- Apple Cider Hot Toddy Recipe — Simply Recipes · researched 2026-11-14
1½ ounces bourbon, 1 teaspoon honey, spices, ½ cup apple cider; warm cider, combine in mug
- Apple Cider Hot Toddy — A Couple Cooks · researched 2026-11-14
Bourbon, honey, hot apple cider, lemon; batch proportions for a crowd
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