I love a good cocktail as much as the next girl but one of my biggest complaints is that most cocktails include ice. I'm one of those people who is always cold so having to hold onto an icy glass especially in the colder months is the absolute worst! Because of this, I am a huge fan of hot alcoholic drinks and hot toddies are by far my favorite! It is practically like drinking warm tea which is perfect for this season plus they are super easy to make! Below is one of my hot toddy recipes using a locally made liqueur I picked up this weekend at the Portland Bazaar

Ingredients:

- Mason Jar

- Townshend's Bluebird Alpine Liqueur

- Teavana Maharaja Chai Oolong Tea

- Honey

- Cinnamon Sticks

- Star Anise

 - Lemon Juice

Directions: 

First brew your tea of choice. I am a huge chai fan and one of my friends gave me this loose-leaf chai blend from Teavana that I decided to use.

After brewing the tea, pour it into your glass of choice and add as much honey as you would typically use for a cup of tea. Next pour in a shot of the alcohol. Typically hot toddies are made using whiskey but this past weekend I picked up some liqueur full of herbs and spices which I figured would add a nice touch to my hot toddy. The quantity of alcohol can be adjusted based on how strong you want your drink. Mix until honey is dissolved before adding lemon juice for a bit of flavor. Finally, garnish your hot toddy with a few star anise, a cinnamon stick and if you wish, a slice of lemon and then drink up!