By Christmas Eve, everyone is done. Done shopping, done cooking, done pretending this is all effortless. This is not the night for a cocktail that requires a diagram, a garnish you don’t own, or the emotional bandwidth to care if it’s perfectly balanced.
Christmas Eve calls for a drink that understands the assignment.
For me, that drink is a Hot Toddy. It’s warm, forgiving, and impossible to overthink. You can make it while half-listening to a conversation, holding court in the kitchen, or quietly hiding for five minutes of peace. No one has ever accused a Hot Toddy of being precious, and that is precisely its strength.
It also happens to be ideal timing. By the time the mugs come out, Santa is allegedly handling logistics, the hard work is finished, and the only remaining responsibility is staying awake long enough to enjoy the quiet.
Hot Toddy
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 oz whiskey
- 1 tbsp honey syrup
- ½ oz fresh lemon juice
- Hot water to top
- Garnish: Cinnamon stick and lemon wheel
Instructions
- Add the whiskey, honey, and lemon juice to a heatproof mug.
- Top with hot (not boiling) water and stir gently until the honey dissolves.
- Taste and adjust if needed.
- Garnish with a cinnamon stick and lemon wheel.
Nutrition
This is the drink you make when the house finally settles, the lights go low, and you accept that Santa — real or imagined — is now responsible for the rest of the evening.
At this point, you’ve earned something warm, simple, and quietly effective.