Cheers to Friday and official vacation mode! I could not be happier to be home in California for the holidays. Today I’m celebrating with some warm seasonal spirits otherwise known as Hot Toddies. It’s a bit chillier here in the bay than on the South Carolina coast so I’ll be sipping on warm drinks for the remainder of December.
Get those cinnamon sticks out because it’s about to get real festive! These are made with some of my favorite seasonal spices- cloves, star anise and cinnamon of course. Pair these with fresh apple cider and lemon for a spicy seasonal cocktail that will keep you warm and happy this holiday season.
Nutrition:
Apple Cider: Apple cider boasts immunity-boosting vitamin C to keep us healthy during the cold winter months. Making your own apple cider is simple and rivals those shelf-stable, store-bought varieties that may have preservatives and additives. Add some seasonal flair with spices like cinnamon and cloves.
Lemon: Lemons are a natural diuretic thus aid in elimination. They have powerful antioxidant capacity due to the the citric acid that neutralizes free radicals linked to aging and disease. They also aid in the absorption of nutrients by dissociating them from anti-nutrients like phytates and increasing their bioavailbility in the body.
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp honey
- 4 oz bourbon
- 2 star anise
- 8 cloves
- 2 apple slices
- 2 lemon wedges
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- Add your water, apple cider, lemon juice and honey to a medium pot. Add your cloves and star anise. Bring mixture to a gentle boil and whisk together.
- Divide your 4 oz bourbon evenly into two mugs.
- Remove cloves and star anise from your pot. Divide your warm stovetop mixture evenly into your two mugs.
- Serve with cinnamon stick, apple slice, lemon wedge and star anise for a festive touch.