Updated September 2026 by Lydia Martin
Bourbon and honey are a natural pairing. Bourbon's defining flavors — vanilla, caramel, toasted oak — come from new charred oak, and they sit directly alongside honey's sweetness rather than fighting it. That makes bourbon the easiest whiskey to get right in a toddy.
The bottle to buy sits at 90 to 100 proof, and here is why that range rather than higher.
The proof window
A toddy is diluted twice — once by the hot water, again as it cools and you drink slowly. At 80 proof, bourbon arrives thin by the third sip. At 90 to 100, it holds through the whole mug.
Above about 107, the alcohol reads as heat rather than flavor in a hot drink. Warmth amplifies the perception of alcohol, which is why a cask-strength bourbon that sips beautifully neat can come across as aggressive in a toddy. If you use one, reduce to 1½ oz.
This is different from eggnog, where higher is simply better. Heat changes the calculation.
The bottles
The natural fits
- Buffalo Trace, 90 proof. Caramel-forward and smooth. Probably the single best default here.
- Four Roses Small Batch, 90 proof. Stone fruit and spice; the fruit works beautifully with lemon.
- Woodford Reserve, 90.4 proof. Polished and fruit-forward. Makes a refined version.
If you want more spice against the honey
- Old Grand-Dad Bonded, 100 proof. Roughly 27% rye. The pepper cuts honey's sweetness and keeps the drink from going cloying. Inexpensive.
- Wild Turkey 101, 101 proof. Big and slightly funky. Impossible to lose in a hot drink.
Value
- Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond, 100 proof. Bottled-in-bond guarantees 100 proof by law, from one distillation season and distiller, aged at least four years. Enormous value in any warm drink.
Skip. Honey-flavored whiskey — the drink already has honey in it. And heavily oaked or double-oaked bourbons, whose tannin turns drying against lemon.
The temperature mistake
Most recipes say boiling water. Ethanol boils at 173°F; water boils at 212°F. Boiling water drives the alcohol and aromatics out of your mug as steam. That is why home toddies so often smell better than they taste.
Use water at about 160°F — boil the kettle and let it stand three to four minutes. This improves the drink more than any bottle upgrade.
The build
Makes one
- 2 oz bourbon, 90–100 proof
- 2 tsp real honey
- ½ oz fresh lemon juice
- 4 oz hot water, about 160°F
- Lemon wheel with 3 cloves, cinnamon stick optional
Warm the mug and discard the water. Dissolve the honey in a splash of hot water first — otherwise it sinks and stays there. Add bourbon and lemon. Top up. Garnish.
The bourbon variation worth making
Apple cider toddy. Replace the water with hot apple cider at the same temperature, keep the bourbon and honey, add a cinnamon stick and drop the lemon to a quarter ounce. This is the best cold-weather drink on this page, and it scales into a slow cooker for a crowd.
More in our Bourbon Guide.
Frequently asked questions
What proof bourbon for a hot toddy?
90 to 100. Below 90 it thins out as the drink cools; above 107 the heat reads as harshness.
Is bourbon or Irish whiskey better in a hot toddy?
Irish is traditional and smoother against honey and lemon. Bourbon brings vanilla and caramel that pair naturally with honey. Both are correct.
Can I use apple cider instead of water?
Yes, and with bourbon it is arguably better. Reduce the lemon.
Should the water be boiling?
No. About 160°F. Ethanol boils at 173°F, so boiling water drives the alcohol off.
What's the best cheap bourbon for a hot toddy?
Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond or Old Grand-Dad Bonded. Both 100 proof by law, both inexpensive.
Sources and method
Proofs are standard US bottling strengths as printed on current labels. Bottled-in-bond requirements reflect US federal labeling standards. Ethanol's boiling point is 78.4°C (173°F). Nothing on this page is medical advice.