Rum Hot Toddy

Here’s a drink to lift your spirits: the Rum Hot Toddy! This hot beverage has been around for centuries, and with one sip you’ll know why. It warms you from your head to your toes (imagine that in those eras with no central heating!). Rum melds seamlessly into hot water and honey, which opens and accentuates its flavors. You can make this drink with white, aged, or dark rum: each adds different flavor components.

Ingredients in a hot toddy with rum

The hot toddy is a mixed drink made of liquor, hot water, and honey, often including lemon, or tea. It originated in India and was standard in Britain as early as the 1780’s! By the mid-1800’s, Americans were prescribing it as a cure for the common cold. The original hot toddy was made with whiskey like Scotch. But once it spread to America, it was made with rum or brandy, which were the easiest to find spirits at the time. (It’s not like today, where you can get a bottle of just about any type of liquor at your liquor store!) Here are the ingredients you’ll need for a hot toddy with rum:

Rum of any typeMaple syrup or honey Hot waterLemon

Types of rum

You can use any type of rum for a hot toddy with rum, and each one adds unique flavor notes to the drink. You might think of white rum for Daiquiris and Mojitos, but it works very well in a rum hot toddy. An even better fit are aged and dark rum, which add intriguing flavor notes. Here’s how each change the flavor:

White rum has a straightforward flavor with a signature fruity finishAged rum, aka añejo rum, has notes of vanilla, coconut, almond, citrus, or caramelDark rum has a deep, caramel flavor and notes of cinnamon and spices

How to make a Rum Hot Toddy

A hot toddy is a cozy, restorative drink to sip by the fire (it was once thought to be a cure for the common cold). Because of that, it’s less of a fancy cocktail and more like making tea. Here’s what to do:

Mix: In the serving glass, stir together 3 rum with 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey. We like the mix of pure maple syrup with rum (honey can taste slightly medicinal, but still delicious!). Add hot water: Pour in ½ cup hot water.Add lemon: Squeeze in a lemon wedge.Garnish: Add a cinnamon stick if desired.

Serve it for a crowd

Entertaining and want to make this rum hot toddy recipe for a crowd? You can certainly do so: and it’s very easy to mix up. Simply heat up the following ingredients on the stovetop until hot but not boiling:

4 cups hot water1 ½ cups rum¼ cup maple syrup or honey

Once it’s heated, garnish in the same way as the single serving. Squeeze in the juice from a lemon wedge, and add a cinnamon stick if you like. That’s it!