Hot Toddy
It slides down my throat with the greatest of ease. Ha! Who said that? That’s a fallacy. Mom made me drink it whenever I got sick. Yuk. Her recipe was unique, hot water, tea, honey, whiskey and milk. It was the worst. I got better fast. I had no choice. If I didn’t get better fast, I had to drink another and another. Horrors.
Here are the details, without milk, according to Wikipedia:
Spiced version
Little Toddy
It’s called a hot toddy, also hot totty and hot tottie as well as hot whiskey in Ireland. It is typically a mixed drink made of liquor and water with sugar and spices and served hot. Hot toddy recipes vary and are traditionally drunk before going to bed, or in wet or cold weather. Some believe the drink relieves the symptoms of the cold and flu — in How to Drink, Victoria Moore describes the drink as “the vitamin C for health, the honey to soothe, the alcohol to numb.”
Preparation
Traditional Scottish preparation of a hot toddy involves the mixture of whiskey, boiling water and sugar or honey. Additional ingredients such as cloves, a lemon slice or cinnamon (in stick or ground form) may be added.
The Irish version, hot whiskey, generally uses Irish whiskey, brown sugar, a lemon slice with cloves, and hot water.
A common version in the Midwestern United States uses Vernors Ginger Ale, lemon, honey and Bourbon whiskey. In Wisconsin, brandy is often used instead of bourbon.
A common version in Ontario typically consists of heated ginger-ale, honey, and either whiskey or brandy. It is often recommended to heat the ginger-ale before adding the whiskey or brandy, otherwise the heating process will reduce the alcoholic effects of the liquor.
Hot Irish Whiskey
Recipe by Trinka G
“My best friend who just happens to be Irish made this drink for me one cold night in Chicago and since then, I have been hooked! Warning: it is very potent, just one of these will warm you up and basically make you good for nothing afterwards – what a treat! It is super to drink at night if you have a sore throat. My friend said this is what the Irish drink if they don’t feel good but don’t wait until you have a cold to try this recipe!”
Ingredients for one drink
Hot Irish whiskey with cloves
8 whole cloves
1 (1/4 inch thick) slice of lemon
1 tablespoon white sugar
3/4 cup boiling water
1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger Irish whiskey
I did not know that whiskey, when heated, reduces its numbing effectiveness. Did you?
- Grog is the name of a similar drink based on Rum in several cultures.
- List of hot beverages
- Tamagozake, the traditional Japanese cold cure, uses heated sake mixed with egg.
References
- “Definition of Hot Toddy”. Princeton WordNet. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- Nigel Slater (March 13, 2011). “Nigel Slater’s classic hot toddy recipe”. The Guardian. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
- “How to make a Hot Toddy”. LifeOverHere.com. January 3, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
- “Wisconsin Winter Toddy”. Princeton WordNet. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- “Glossaries: India”. Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie Archive. Macquarie University. 2011. Retrieved December 16, 2012. Toddy: palm wine made from the sap of the palmyra palm.
- “Hot Toddies”. Conan’s Pub. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
- MacKay, Charles. A Dictionary of Lowland Scotch (1888)
Chicken soup made with love or hot toddy made with liquor . . . What’s your pick when you have a cold?
Sounds fantastic! Minus the milk, of course. Mom’s cure for everything from colds to cramps was Cream deMenthe. She kept a bottle on top of the fridge. Warm milk and honey was also a throat soother. Vick’s Vaporub was a staple in our house. My grandfather wreaked of the stuff and would put it under my nose or on my chest if I had a cold. I love the idea of putting it on the soles of the feet…which incidentally is where aromatherapy oils are most effective.
Now that’s a complete list and a family that knows what to do with a cold. Thanks Paula.
Nothing better for a sore throat! Another, less glamorous treatment for a cold: Vicks VapoRub on the soles of your feet. (Wear socks). For some reason, it really seems to work.
LOL Kristan. I use Vicks VapoRub on my chest and love it. Clears my nose and warms my toes, but never on the soles of my feet. Okay, next time I need Vicks, on the feet it goes. Can I still rub it on my chest?
Perfect timing for my lingering cold/cough! I plan on trying this out tonight — am now rummaging through cabinets and fridge to make sure I have the proper ingredients…
Louise, thanks for stopping by. Have it tonight, before bedtime. Liquor is a depressant and will make you sleep, according to my doctor. Last night I added the whiskey to the hot brew. It went down smoothly and warmed my throat and body. I had a good night’s sleep.
Do you think we could get away with giving this to our 10 yr old these days? And, ugh, this brings back memories of being forced to take cough syrup. To this day, I won’t eat cherry-flavored candy. THIS sounds a whole lot better.
When I was a kid, mom did give this bitter brew to me. I don’t remember feeling better then, but last night, when I could appreciate what it was supposed to do, it was wonderful. I slept like a baby.
The cloves in the lemon peel in the spiced version = very cool. I’ve never seen that before.
Yup, those spices make it delicious. Starbucks has one the is so good. I have their Verismo brewing system and can use the pod. It’s the Teavana, Chai-flavored Pod. You can add your brandy to it.