I like mint. I like bourbon. Unsurprisingly, I like mint and bourbon together in Mint Juleps. But Mint Juleps are icy summer drinks! And it’s cold outside.* Mint Juleps won’t do. But I also like Hot Toddies! But Hot Toddies usually don’t match mint and bourbon. So, being the genius that I am, I recently wondered: what if I made a Mint Julep, just hot? So I gave it a try. And it worked! A Hot Toddy that’s also a Mint Julep, or maybe a Mint Julep that’s also a Hot Toddy. Or, maybe names don’t matter as long as a drink tastes good and helps you feel good. Which this does: the Hot Mint Julep Toddy. – Andrew

Illustration by Shauna Lynn for Oh So Beautiful Paper

The Hot Mint Julep Toddy

8 oz Mint Tea
2 oz Bourbon
1 oz Sugar

Combine everything, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Garnish with a lemon twist and enjoy!

Cool, vegetal mint and rich, oaky bourbon are perfect together, hot or cold, as this Toddy demonstrates. It has all of the delicious smoothness of the Mint Julep but with the soothing warmth of a Toddy, perfect for this gloomy winter we’ve been having. Just make sure to use a 100% mint tea, like a Moroccan mint. A black tea with mint will have an entirely different flavor and pack a caffeine punch. Neither of which would be totally undesirable! But it would make for a different drink, probably worth an experiment or two, that we’d have to write about in a different post. Maybe next fall…

And yeah, there’s no lemon garnish in a Mint Julep, so I confess to taking a slight liberty in translating the sacred Mint Julep into Hot Toddy form. I mean, it’s not a Hot Toddy without some lemon, right? I find that the lemon oils from the zest really help bind all the flavors together. Feel free to omit if that’s not your cup of tea you’re not a fan.

Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

* More accurately, it’s chilly outside. DC has been seeing weather in the 40s and 50s since that polar vortex went away. It’s basically a gloomy March outside right now. Make up your mind, nature!