Several years ago, I learned how to make hot toddies from a friend who swore by a formula of Bushmill’s Irish whiskey, ginger tea, honey, lemon, cloves and cayenne pepper to see him through cold season. I was never quite clear on whether the idea was that this potent combo would knock the cold out of you, or simply calm your symptoms and let you temporarily forget about your stuffy nose. In any case, it offered an excuse to get out of my pajamas and join my friends at a party or bar, and in my experience, laughing and having a good time is as good a remedy as any. I love that even now, in a modern world with an endless selection of over-the-counter cold meds, hot toddies as a folk tradition still persist. Everyone has a favorite recipe, with ingredients ranging from basic to fancy to bizarre. What toddy recipe do you swear by? —Shoshanna Cohen
Thanks for the ginger tea idea. For a nicely nutty toddy, I like a good splash of walnut liqueur (Nocello's usually the most readily available at bars). And an orange slice is always nice!
ReplyDeleteMy standy tends to be the classic: brandy, honey, lemon, black tea. Puts pretty much any ailment at bay for me. But I agree on the ginger; would be the perfect addition.
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ReplyDeleteI believe my version of the Toddy to be the purest... I learned the mix from the barman at the Dorchester Club in swinging London:
ReplyDeleteBourbon Whiskey
Lemon Juice
3-4 cloves
Hot Water
And that's it.
I do like the tea idea.. will give that a try once Autumn sets in.
Hot whiskey. Bushmill's, a lemon slice studded with whole cloves, honey, and hot water. This is almost the same as the way they serve it in Ireland, but they would use sugar in place of the honey.
ReplyDeleteI find that a good alternative to brandy/whiskey + honey is Wild Turkey American Honey.
ReplyDeleteTea, honey, lemon and Applejack brandy!!
ReplyDeleteMmmmmmmmmmm!!
Whisky (Dad uses Scotch, I use bourbon, but his is probably more traditional)
ReplyDeletehoney
store bought lemon juice (not fresh for this recipe)
hot tap water (bottled only if your local water is bad)