Poor you! Your nose is runny. You are shivering with chills and coughing. You could have a fever or sore throat but you’re pretty sure, you have a cold. Honey, let me tell you more about a hot toddy and how it’ll make you “feel” better even if it won’t cure what ails you!
I learned from a bit of research, the word toddy appears to be “a corruption of the Hindu word tari, which is used for a sweet alcoholic drink made of palm sap.” Robert Burns used it in a poem in 1785 to mean a generic alcoholic drink. How it found its way from Scotland to the southern parts of the United States is beyond me. No matter how, it did and many of us are grateful.
In the south, toddy is used to describe a tonic for a cold and its accompanying symptoms. It’s a sweet, “spirited” drink with honey that’s served piping hot!
To make a hot toddy, you’ll need the following ingredients:
3 ounces whiskey, dark rum, brandy, or bourbon
3 ounces water
1 teaspoon honey
Lemon juice from half a lemon
2 cloves (optional)
Helper (sixteen years old or older) optional
Here’s how it’s made:
Have your helper half fill your tea kettle and bring the water to a boil. In a huge mug (or container) pour 3 ounces of your “spirit” of choice. Stir in a teaspoon of honey to the spirits. Pour the boiling hot water in the mixture, making sure to pour some over the spoon to get all the honey from it. Add lemon juice and stir well. Add a couple of cloves if desired. You can garnish with a lemon slice.
Voila! A hot toddy! It is to be sipped very slowly. Make sure it’s piping hot. Heating in a microwavable container for no more than one minute at full power will do the trick. Serving in one of those insulated cups with a lid will help to maintain the heat until the very last sip.
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