La Grande Bulleit Marnier

Author Notes

Black tea blended with orange rinds and sweet spices, a favorite of mine, Constant Comment. Ruth Bigelow developed her blend based on a popular recipe from Southern colonial America and reported chatter amongst friends and their guests; “Ruth, your tea caused nothing but constant comment,” gave Mrs. Bigelow a name for her creation!

During the chilly holiday season I stop by Pikes Place Market to warm up with my favorite hot tea combined with orange liqueur. This toddy kicks it up a bit; a perfectly spiced, holiday libation, and if you need an excuse any other time of year, hot toddy is believed to have a curative effect on a sore throat and the sniffles...Cheers!
—lapadia

Test Kitchen Notes

Having forgotten to buy Constant Comment, I used Trader Joe's Vanilla & Cinnamon Black Tea, which I thought an acceptable substitute. The lemon juice came from my Meyer lemons. I made two versions of this hot drink, one with the bourbon and one using just the Grand Marnier. Both were warming and not overly sweet. Being a lightweight, I shared the "full strength" toddy with my husband. Thumbs up! —Lizthechef