There’s nothing better than warming up in the middle of winter with a mug of tea.
Correction. There is something better: hot tea cocktails!
Add some fun to your holiday season with my top 10 delicious hot tea cocktail recipes. They’re perfect to stay warm during the winter holidays or to bring in the New Year with friends and family!
I included both caffeinated and herbal tea cocktail recipes, so there’s a tea cocktail for everyone!
Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!
Why I Love Hot Tea Cocktails
Do I really have to explain myself here…? I mean it’s a cocktail with tea as the base…need I say more!?
It’s a hug in a mug with some extra fun!
Okay in all seriousness, what I really love about a tea cocktail (especially one with caffeine) is that it keeps me awake! I find that alcohol can make me really drowsy, but when I add tea to my cocktails I can stay up to enjoy the party.
But, don’t worry I also included some herbal options in case you don’t want the extra kick!
What You’ll Need To Make Hot Tea Cocktails: A Mug Cover
These hot tea cocktails are fairly simple to make. You don’t need a full barista or even cocktail set.
But, I do recommend one key item that you wouldn’t normally need for making tea or cocktails: a cover for your mug.
You can either buy a silicone mug cover that will fit on most regular sized mugs (like this one on Amazon). Or you can invest in a mug that comes with it’s own fitted cover (like this one on Amazon).
This is vital for keeping your cocktail hot while the tea is steeping.
Alternatively, you can make all of these recipes in a pot on the stove top but that’s sometimes a bit more of a hassle.
![IPHOX Creative Mug Cover [Set of 6] Anti-dust, Airtight Seal, Food Grade Silicone Hot Cup Lids](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41Os-jsTL9L._SL160_.jpg)
What Tea Should You Use For Alcoholic Drinks With Tea?
You don’t need to use the highest quality tea for these hot tea cocktails. Feel free to use tea bags or whatever you have in your house.
I mean, you’re mixing tea with alcohol and a bunch of other ingredients, the quality of the tea kind of takes a back seat.
You might also be interested in reading…
Healthy Golden Milk Latte Recipe: Make A Delicious Turmeric Latte At Home
Caffeinated Tea Alternatives
If the recipe calls for a caffeinated tea, you can always swap for a decaf option. For the most part you can find decaf black tea, or decaf Earl grey (like this one on Amazon).
Keep in mind that even decaf options will have a small amount of caffeine in them. If you want a tea that is fully caffeine free, a great alternative to black tea is herbal rooibos tea (see it on Amazon).
You can often even find different flavours of rooibos tea like this Earl grey rooibos from Amazon.
Decaffeinated Options For Alcoholic Drinks With Tea
Top 10 Hot Tea Cocktails To Warm Up With This Winter
Alcoholic drinks with tea! Yes Please! These are my top 10 hot tea cocktails with a mix of herbal and caffeinated tea cocktails.
And as always, please drink responsibly!
1. Hot Toddy With Tea Twist!
The classic hot toddy but with an added tea twist!
Ingredients
- 1 bag black tea (Buy on Amazon CA | Amazon US | Adagio Teas)
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 shot whisky
- 1 Cinnamon stick for garnish
Directions
- Boil water and let 1 bag of black tea steep for 5 minutes (covered)
- Once steeped, remove tea bag and add in 2 tsp honey, 2 tsp lemon juice, and 1 shot whisky. Mix well.
- Optional: swirl around 1 cinnamon stick and enjoy your hot toddy with tea!
Taste Tea Where You Are!
Taste tea on the go with my pocket size tea tasting log book on Etsy.
This printable digital download tea tasting journal also comes with a tea tasting guide inside.
2. Whisky Tea Recipes: Old Fashioned With Tea
Whisky and tea just go so well together that why not mix it into your favourite Old Fashioned!?
Ingredients
- 1 bag black tea (Buy on Amazon CA | Amazon US | Adagio Teas)
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/2 shot amaretto
- 1 shot whisky
- 3 dashes bitters
Directions
- Boil 1 cup water and steep 1 bag black tea for 5 minutes (covered)
- Once steeped, remove tea bag and mix in 1/2 shot amaretto, 1 shot whisky, and 3 dashes of bitters
- Mix well and enjoy!
3. Smoky Canadian Winter
This is my favourite hot tea cocktails to make and serve. It just reminds me of a campfire that’s so soothing to enjoy on a cold winter day. It uses a smoked tea with some added Canadian sweetness!
Ingredients
- 4 gr (2 tsps) Lapsang Souchong black tea (Amazon CA | Amazon US | Adagio Teas)
- 1 cup boiling water (you can always add more if it’s too strong)
- 3 drops smokey bitters
- 1 tsp pure Canadian maple syrup (Amazon US)
- 1 shot Canadian whisky (I used Canadian Club – of course!)
Directions
- Bring 1 cup water to a boil
- Steep 2 tsp of Lapsang Souchong tea in a mug for 5 minutes (covered)
- Remove tea bag, add 1 shot whisky, 1 tsp maple syrup, 3 drop smoked bitters
- Stir & enjoy
4. Double Shot Earl Grey Tea Infused Vodka Cocktail
If you love Earl grey tea then this hot tea cocktail recipe is for you! It requires a bit more preparation than other alcoholic drinks with tea but it’s worth it!
This recipe has two parts to it: first infusing vodka with Earl grey tea and then turning it into a delicious hot tea cocktail to enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4 Earl grey tea bags (Amazon CA | Amazon US | Adagio Teas)
- 1 cup Vodka of your choice
- 1 cup water
- Optional: 1/4 tsp vanilla
- Optional: 1/2 tsp honey
Directions Part 1: The Infusion
- Infuse 3 bags of Earl grey tea in 1 cup of Vodka in a closed jar, like these small mason jars from Amazon (CA | US).
- Let it infuse from 4- 24 hours in the fridge. The longer you leave it, the stronger it will taste. I recommend leaving it for longer because you can always dilute it if it’s too strong.
- After it’s infused, squeeze out the tea bags. The infused vodka will last for 3 days outside the fridge, up to 1 month in the fridge, and 3 months in the freezer.
Directions Part 2: The Hot Earl Grey Tea Cocktail
- Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a pot, add 1 Earl grey tea bag
- Let the water simmer for 4 minutes with the tea bag
- Add 1 shot infused Earl grey vodka and 1/4 tsp vanilla (optional)
- Let it simmer for another 4 minutes
- Carefully pour out your tea cocktail into your favourite mug. I recommend placing the mug in the sink to pour it out in case you miss!
You might also be interested in reading…
Finding The Best Earl Grey Tea: A Comparison Between 12 Tea Brands
5. (Double) Spiked London Fog Latte
The only thing better than an Earl grey tea is a London Fog (an earl grey tea latte). So obviously, the only thing better than a London Fog is a spiked London Fog!
Ingredients
- 1 Earl grey tea bag (Amazon CA | Amazon US | Adagio Teas)
- 1/2 cup boiled water
- 1/2 cup of steamed milk (I use 1% but you can use what you prefer)
- 1 shot vanilla whisky (I used Crown Royal Vanilla)
- Optional: 1/2 shot infused earl grey vodka
Directions
- Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil, steep Earl grey tea for 5 minutes (covered)
- While waiting for tea, steam 1/2 cup milk
- Remove tea bag, squeeze it out
- Mix in 1 shot vanilla whisky (optional: add in 1/2 shot infused Earl grey vodka)
- Mix well and enjoy!
If you’re adding infused vodka that’s been kept in the fridge, I recommend making this hot tea cocktail in a pot on the stove. This way, you can gradually bring up the temperature of the infused vodka and not cool down your spiked London fog.
You might also be interested in reading…
6. Peppermint Candy Cane Latte (Herbal Tea Cocktail)
It wouldn’t be a list of holiday tea cocktails without at least one candy cane themed cocktail!
You can either make this recipe on the stove top in a pot, or you can boil the water in a kettle to steep tea and use a milk steamer to warm up the milk (like this one on Amazon).
Ingredients
- 2 tsp tea/ 1 bag mint tea (Amazon CA | Amazon US | Adagio Teas)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup egg nog (if you really like egg nog you can opt to replace the 1/2 cup of milk with egg nog!)
- 1 shot spiced rum (I used Plantations)
- 2 candy canes
- Optional: whipped cream for garnish
Directions
- Boil 1/2 cup water and steep 1 mint tea bag for 5 minutes (covered)
- While waiting for your tea to steep, steam 1/2 cup milk and crush 1 candy cane
- To crush candy cane: Add 1 candy cane to Ziploc bag and seal it. Take a heavy object (I used the rum bottle) and just smash the candy cane into pieces – watch your fingers!
- Once the tea is steeped, squeeze and remove the tea bag.
- Add in 1/2 cup steamed milk, 1/4 cup egg nog, 1 shot spiced rum
- Swirl around hot tea cocktail with 1 candy cane
- Top off your hot tea cocktail with whipped cream and chopped candy cane for garnish!
7. Roasted Green Tea Cocktail Latte
For this hot tea cocktail recipe, you’ll be using Hojicha powder. Hojicha is a roasted green tea from Japan. Although it does contain caffeine, it’s a lot less than even most green teas.
Ingredients
- 1 – 1 1/2 tsp hojicha powder (Amazon CA | Amazon US)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 shot Baileys
- Optional: whip cream for garnish
Directions
- Heat 1/2 cup water to 175°F (for green tea)
- Heat up 1/2 cup milk using a steamer (like this one on Amazon or on the stove top) You can also opt to froth your milk at the same time!
- Sift 1 tsp Hojicha powder into hot water – stir well. If it’s not strong enough, you can opt to add in an extra 1/2 tsp.
- Add in 1 shot of Bailye’s
- Mix well & enjoy!
You can opt to make the entire green tea cocktail on the stove top. You’ll simply mix warm up everything in a small pot, whisking it frequently.
Minimalist Tea Wall Art For Your Home
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8. Rum Mint Tea (Herbal Tea Cocktail)
Bring summer warmth straight to your home with this winter tea cocktail.
Ingredients
- 2 2 tsp tea (1 tea bag) mint tea (Amazon CA | Amazon US | Adagio Teas)
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 1 shot spiced rum (I used Plantations 5 Years aged rum)
Directions
- Boil 1 cup water and steep 2 tsp tea for 5 minutes (covered)
- Remove tea bag, add 2 tsp lemon juice, 2 tsp lime juice, and 1 shot spiced rum
- Mix well and enjoy!
9. The Not So Healthy Immune Booster (Herbal Tea Cocktail)
If you want to feel a little healthy over the holiday season this is the hot tea cocktail for you! Give yourself that immunity booster while still keeping up with the drinking!
Honey, lemon, and chamomile tea are all good for a healthy immune system. So let’s try to counter balance all those alcoholic drinks with tea! It’s also just the perfect relaxing drink to wine down with at the end of the night.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp (2 gr/ ~1 tea bag) chamomile tea (Amazon CA | Amazon US | Adagio Teas)
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp honey
- 1 shot whisky
- lemon slice for garnish
Directions
- Bring 1 cup water to a boil, steep 2 tsp chamomile tea for 5 minutes (cover your mug)
- Once steeped, remove tea bag, add 1/2 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp honey, 1 shot whisky
- Mix together & enjoy!
10. Hot Vodka Berry Mar-TEA-ni (Herbal Tea Cocktail)
Ingredients
- 3 heaping tsp berry tea (or 1 tea bag) (I used Some Nice Berries from Firebelly Tea)
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/2 shot amaretto
- 1 shot Vodka
- 2 tsp lime juice
Directions
- Boil water to desired temperature for tea and steep 3 tsp berry tea for 5 minutes (covered)
- Once steeped, remove tea bag
- Add 1/2 shot amaretto, 1 shot vodka, and 2 tsp lime juice
- Mix well and enjoy!
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Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API