If you happen to be point-to-pointing on a cooler spring day, this spiced whisky will be just what you need to help ward off the chill says Philippa Davis
Hot whisky, tea, cider and spice
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 English breakfast teabags
- 700ml medium cider
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 2 cloves
- 2 star anise
- 1 tbsp cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 20g fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1/2 nutmeg, grated
- 1 orange, zest peeled into thick strips then juiced
- 2-3 tbsp demerara sugar
- 200ml-300ml whisky
Method
- Make a pot of tea with 400ml of just-boiled water. Leave to brew for 10 minutes then remove the bags and pour the tea into a medium saucepan.
- Add the cider, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, strips of orange peel and all the juice, along with 2 tablespoons of demerara sugar.
- With a lid on to help keep in as much alcohol as possible, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 1 hour.
- Strain everything into a new pan and bring to a simmer again with a lid on.
- Turn off the heat and check the sweetness, adding more sugar if desired.
- Add 200ml-300ml of whisky depending how strong you like it (you can take a filled hip flask with you to add a splash extra for those who prefer).
Tip: For hot toddies, whiskys with notes of vanilla or caramel work well but avoid the heavily peated ones. You can also play around with different types of tea, although it’s best to steer clear of lapsang souchoung as its smoky profile interferes with the fresh, fruity notes of the cider.
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