Updated June 2026.
There is no IBA Hot Toddy spec, and a toddy is not medicine. A common home pour is 1.5 ounces of bourbon in hot water with lemon and honey. That 1.5-ounce 80-proof pour is one NIAAA standard drink; 90 proof is 1.13. Heat does not remove ethanol. “Best bourbon” is a bottle you still taste after honey — not a 2022 top-10 tasting. We are not your doctor.
80–90 proof is enough; barrel-proof needs more water. Flavored honey whiskey is a different class. Related: whiskey and blood pressure, Old Fashioned.
What the mug actually needs
| Job | Typical bottles | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Default 80–90 | Jim Beam White 80, Buffalo Trace 90, Maker’s 90 | Still tastes like bourbon after honey; 27 CFR 5.143 |
| More proof | Wild Turkey 101, bonded 100 | Holds up; count the extra ethanol |
| Skip | Cinnamon whiskey, 60-proof liqueurs | Different class; sugar on honey |
Four 1.5-ounce 40% toddies are four drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Hot liquid can mask how fast you are drinking. No 2026 MSRP. Not a sore-throat treatment.
Sources
- No IBA Hot Toddy page. TTB 27 CFR 5.143 bourbon.
- NIAAA standard drink (December 2025). Not medical advice. No invented ranking.