Autumn Hot Toddy with Whole Cloves and Clementine

Kindi Lantz November 08, 2018

Whole cloves, citrus, and Ceylon cinnamon enrich this traditional hot toddy.

It’s that time of year when you hear sniffling all around you. A typical scenario plays out as follows:

You cringe as you enter a holiday festivity and see folks throughout the room coughing and sneezing into their palms and proceeding to the customary handshake greetings. You can’t get to the hand washing sink quick enough, but alas, you wake up the following morning with the mother of all colds.

Of course, you could just start slamming OJ and chicken soup, but it never hurts to throw a round of hot toddy treatment in the mix—especially when that hot toddy has been infused with the flavorful intensity of whole cloves. Adding cloves to your toddy not only adds a sweet and spicy flavor and aroma, like oranges, they are a good source of vitamin C. So, like citrus, they may help in improving your body’s ability to combat viruses and infectious diseases while providing a flavor uplift.

Whole cloves gain their pungent aroma and potent flavor from the tree upon which they are born of, the Syzygium Aromaticum, an evergreen species native to Indonesian rainforests. Those tiny, ¼ to ½-inch spice barbs are actually the buds from the tree, unopened flowers, dried to preserve that familiar clove flavor that wafts through bake shops and holiday stores.

But cloves enrich culinary masterpieces far beyond baked goods. They are often used to flavor roasts and hams, chutneys, curries, bechamel sauces, and much more. What about beverages? I’m glad you asked. You won’t find mulled wine without it; liquid treats like cider and eggnog typically contain at least a small quantity of the spice; and of course, this autumn hot toddy wouldn’t be the same without a few whole cloves to infusing it with depth and spice.

Here’s the recipe for the Autumn Hot Toddy with Whole Cloves and Clementine:

YIELD: 2 servings
*serve in mugs

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups of water
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 Ceylon cinnamon sticks
• 1 clementine
• 10 whole cloves
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 4 ounces of high-quality bourbon

PROCEDURE:

1. Add the water, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks, and cloves to a small saucepan and bring to boil. 
2. Let boil for 3 minutes and reduce to simmer. 
3. Cut two slices of clementines and set aside. 
4. Squeeze the rest of the clementine into the water mixture and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Stir in honey and simmer for 2 additional minutes. 
6. Pour 2 ounces of bourbon into each mug. 
7. Use a spoon to retrieve 6 cloves from the mixture and stick 3 in each clementine slice. Cut a single corner of the clementine and use it to garnish the mug. 
8. Retrieve the cinnamon sticks from the mixture and place one in each mug. 
9. Retrieve the remaining cloves and discard. 
10. Pour the mixture over the bourbon and drink to your health!

Quality whole cloves and true cinnamon quills really make a difference in the flavor of hot beverages. Find these and other great ingredients for your autumn and winter recipes on our Ethically Sourced Spices & Ingredients page.