Chamomile Spice Hot Toddy

Warming, Immune-Supporting

Ingredients:

4-6 oz Chamomile Tea (or just hot water if you don’t have chamomile)

1 oz (2 TBSP) Seven Spice Syrup or Ginger Syrup (see recipe below)

1 TBSP fresh lemon juice (about 1/4 of a lemon)

1-2 oz Whiskey (optional)

If using Ginger Simple Syrup, add 1/4 tsp (about 2 droppersful) Protective Bitters or bitters of your choice. If you are using Tonic’s Seven Spice Cocktail Syrup, the bitters are already included)

Instructions:

1. Steep the chamomile tea for 5-10 minutes, keeping your vessel covered with a lid or a plate to prevent the volatile oils from escaping. It does get more bitter, the longer you steep it, but bitter is good for you! You are extracting more of the medicinal properties! If using loose chamomile, strain through a fine sieve into a mug. If using tea bags, simply remove the tea bag.
2. Add ginger syrup, lemon juice, bitters and whiskey to the mug and give a stir. Taste. Adjust to your taste, adding more water, lemon, syrup or whatever to suit your palette.
3. Wrap up in a warm sweater or blanket and sip slowly, and go to bed early.

Ginger Syrup Recpe

1 oz dried ginger root

16 fl oz water

1/2 cup honey

1. Add ginger root and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boil is reached, reduce the heat and let simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, until the amount of water has reduced by about half. (Tip: use a chopstick to measure the water level in the pot when you start. Mark it with a pencil. Find the halfway point between that mark and the bottom of the chopstick and mark that with a pencil. When the water level reaches this line, you are ready to strain).
2. Strain the ginger root through a mesh sieve or cheesecloth, reserving the liquid. You should have about a cup of ginger infusion. Make sure to wring the excess liquid from the roots. I like to use the back of a spoon to press it out through the sieve.
3. Add 1/2 cup of honey to the infusion and stir to dissolve.
4. Store the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 months.