Seasonal & Holiday
Hot Toddy Mocktail
The hot toddy mocktail is winter's simplest equation: honey for body and floral sweetness, fresh lemon for the acidity that keeps all that honey from turning cloying, and whole spices — cinnamon and clove — steeped directly in the mug so their oils bloom in the heat. An optional pour of a zero-proof whiskey alternative restores what the original spirit contributed: oak, vanilla, and a low ember of warmth at the back of the throat. Steaming water binds it into something that drinks far bigger than its four ingredients.
This is the drink for the tail end of a cold night — back from the sledding hill, done shoveling the driveway, or as the alcohol-free nightcap that closes an evening instead of extending it. One rule matters more than any other: pull the water off the heat before it reaches a rolling boil. Water around 195°F (90°C) dissolves honey cleanly and coaxes the spice aromatics open; boiling water scorches fresh lemon into bitterness and steams off the very perfume the drink is built on.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Total
- 10 min
- Makes
- 1 drink
- Calories
- ~80 per serving
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz (45 ml) non-alcoholic whiskey alternative (optional; see variations)
- 0.75 oz (22 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (21 g) honey, or 0.75 oz (22 ml) rich 2:1 honey syrup
- 4 oz (120 ml) hot water, just off the boil (about 195°F / 90°C)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 star anise pod (optional)
- Lemon wheel studded with 2–3 cloves, to garnish
How to make it
- 1
Warm the mug
Fill a heatproof mug with hot water, let it stand 30 seconds, then dump it out. A preheated mug keeps the drink hot to the last sip instead of stealing heat from the first pour.
- 2
Dissolve the honey
Add the honey and lemon juice to the warm mug with a small splash of the hot water. Stir until the honey has dissolved completely — undissolved honey sinks and leaves the top of the drink thin and sour.
- 3
Build and top
Pour in the non-alcoholic whiskey alternative, if using, then top with the remaining hot water. Give it one gentle stir.
- 4
Steep the spices
Drop in the cinnamon stick, cloves, and the star anise, if using. Let them steep for about 2 minutes so the spice oils open up in the heat.
- 5
Garnish and serve
Float the clove-studded lemon wheel on the surface and serve immediately, while the steam still carries the aromatics.
Bartender’s notes
- Water temperature is the whole game: aim for just off the boil, about 195°F (90°C). A rolling boil turns fresh lemon juice bitter and drives off the honey and spice aromatics before the first sip.
- Use whole spices only. Ground cinnamon never dissolves — it turns the drink gritty and clouds it. A stick and a couple of cloves give cleaner flavor and double as garnish.
- For batching, pre-make a 2:1 honey syrup (2 parts honey stirred into 1 part hot water). It pours and dissolves instantly, so each mug tastes the same as the last.
- Skipping the zero-proof whiskey? Swap the hot water for strong brewed rooibos or chamomile. The tea adds body and gentle tannin so the drink doesn't read as honey-lemon water — and rooibos keeps it caffeine-free.
Variations
- Bourbon-style toddy: use 1.5 oz (45 ml) Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative, Lyre's American Malt, or Free Spirits The Spirit of Bourbon for oak, vanilla, and a gentle back-of-throat warmth closest to the original.
- Apple cider toddy: replace the hot water with hot unfiltered apple cider and cut the honey to 1 teaspoon — the cider brings its own sugar and a soft orchard-fruit depth.
- Chai toddy: brew the water into strong masala chai first, skip the cinnamon stick (the tea already has it), and finish with the lemon wheel. Note that chai made from black tea adds caffeine.
Bottles that make it better
Non-alcoholic brands from our directory that fit this build — each page lists where to find them near you.
Ritual Zero Proof
0.5% ABV or less
Chicago-based, restaurant-favorite NA spirit line. Their Tequila and Whiskey alternatives are built to disappear into Margaritas and Old Fashioneds.
Where to find Ritual Zero Proof →Lyre's
0.5% ABV or less (individual spirits test under 0.3%–0.4% ABV)
Award-winning NA range that mirrors classics: American Malt (whiskey), Italian Orange (Aperol), Dry London Spirit (gin). The widest classic-cocktail toolkit on the market.
Where to find Lyre's →Free Spirits
Less than 0.5% ABV (approx. 0.2%)
Distilled non-alcoholic spirits with added B-vitamins and amino acids. Spirit of Tequila and Spirit of Gin are the workhorses of the lineup.
Where to find Free Spirits →Rather have it made for you?
These verified bars and restaurants pour hot toddy mocktail-style builds from their own zero-proof menus — no shaker required.
Watershed Pub & Kitchen
Northgate
Watershed Pub & Kitchen is a family-owned Northgate pub with one of Seattle's most extensive non-alcoholic programs — it lists its alcohol-free "spirits" right on the menu so guests can build their own zero-proof drinks.
Better Luck Tomorrow
The Heights
Better Luck Tomorrow is a neighborhood cocktail bar in Houston's Heights, opened in summer 2017 by acclaimed chef Justin Yu (of Oxheart) and veteran bar operator Bobby Heugel (of Anvil Bar & Refuge). Housed in the former Dry Creek Cafe at the corner of Yale Street and West 6th, the bar pairs a deliberately pared-down cocktail list with an unexpectedly ambitious bar-food menu and two patios. Alongside its spirited program, the bar maintains a genuine spirit-free list — roughly six zero-proof drinks priced around $9, developed in part by head bartender Sarah Crowl, who is known for taking non-alcoholic drinks seriously. Featured spirit-free options have included a cold-brew Old Fashioned, a turmeric-ginger-apricot toddy, a spiced hot chocolate with lingonberry cream, plus the Sin and Tonic and the fruit-and-citrus Jungle Birdie. The bar treats its non-alcoholic drinks with the same care as its cocktails.
The Old Gold
Overlook
The Old Gold is a neighborhood whiskey bar and restaurant in North Portland's Overlook district, open since 2011 on N Killingsworth Street. It's best known for a sprawling whiskey list, a full food menu, and a craft cocktail program, and was named one of "Portland's Best Neighborhood Bars" by The Oregonian. Alongside its spirited menu, the bar keeps a genuine, named non-alcoholic cocktail list built on premium zero-proof ingredients: the Pathfinder amaro analog anchors the Peppino Garibaldi (a Garibaldi-style build with grenadine standing in for Campari), and Drømme Calm appears in lower-intervention drinks like the Prince Valium (a whiskey-free Gold Rush) and the Not Toddy. The zero-proof cocktails — also including the Lady Luck and Ginger Cooler — get the same care as the alcoholic ones, and NA beer options include Athletic Brewing. The bar is all-ages before 9pm daily.
Franklin Ave Cocktails & Kitchen
Downtown (Edison Street)
Salt Lake magazine's 2025 Best Restaurant, a buzzy New American spot tucked into the historic Franklin Avenue Variety Theatre building on Edison Street downtown — the fourth Salt Lake concept from the Bourbon Group, with chef Matt Crandall's menu mixing elevated plates with sharp bar food. For non-drinkers, the kitchen runs a rotating seasonal mocktail menu alongside its whiskey- and amaro-leaning cocktail list; City Cast Salt Lake singled out a comforting hibiscus-and-cinnamon hot-toddy-style mocktail as a standout. The art-covered, leather-and-exposed-brick basement room is a frequent recommendation for the downtown Edison Street cluster (note it is 21+).
Frequently asked
Not as written — the base is hot water, honey, lemon, and whole spices, all naturally caffeine-free. If you build the chai variation on black tea, expect roughly 40–70 mg of caffeine per cup. Rooibos or chamomile versions stay caffeine-free.