The Hot Toddy, do you, and how?

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_toddy:

Wikipedia wrote:A hot toddy, also known as hot whiskey in Ireland,[1][2] and occasionally called southern cough syrup[3] within the Southern United States, is typically a mixed drink made of liquor and water with honey (or in some recipes, sugar), lemon, and spices, and served hot.[4] Recipes vary, and hot toddy is traditionally drunk as a nightcap before retiring for the night, in wet or cold weather, or to relieve the symptoms of the cold and flu.

The hot toddy wasn't really part of my family background but when I started merging my life with my (now) wife, I sort of inherited it from her side. For her, the hot toddy was 1/3 Southern Comfort, 1/3 honey, and 1/3 lemon juice -- mixed in a big mug and microwaved till hot. That's effective and all, but sort of too strong on all three ingredients. Adding some water to thin it is great. When we catch a cold or similar virus -- sore throat, upper respiratory, etc, we often turn to a toddy to help sooth our symptoms, buff up on vitamin C, and help us get to sleep. We also don't keep Southern Comfort any more so use whatever brown liquor is handy -- Bourbon or Armagnac probably. And we might spike it with some herbal syrup or tincture.

But I'm aware that traditions and practices around this medicine/drink vary quite a lot with different proportions and additional herbal elements and all sorts of stuff. So I'm wondering -- do you prepare or drink toddies? When or for what condition? And what do they consist of?

Where my family is from in southern-ish England, it's a generous helping of brandy in a hot mug of unadulterated tea and a spoonful of honey.  Lemon juice is added if available.  Adjust to taste.  Make sure the brandy is greater than the honey and lemon combined for best effect.

The brandy is a natural cough suppressant (I've had doctors prescribe this as better than cough meds) and the lemon and honey are well, lemon and honey so they are good for us or something.  Tea is there because mostly we're english and english drink tea.  Although caffeine is mildly good for reducing mild pain.  

Years ago a girl at work wasn't feeling well.

The head of the personnel department fixed her a Hot Toddy, otherwise I would not have heard of that drink.

Absolutely! Ours was always strong black tea, whiskey or brandy (whichever was available), lemon and honey. Now, I'll often do it with an illness-appropriate herbal tea blend - often mixed with the black tea, but the advantage of the black tea is that the caffeine helps get it all into your bloodstream faster.

It's not something I do, regularly, though it's good for both sickness and that 'can't sleep because you're over-tired' problem.  I've actually awakened in the morning, to find I'd not even managed to finish my (admittedly, large) mug.

Thanks, that’s a great start! I’m having my first cold since starting pandemic precautions five years ago. So I’ve built tonight’s toddy around an oolong base. It works well!

Now I want a hot toddy.  

Got to go do chores in the snow first to earn it.  

I should add, the more rot-gut the brandy the better.  Smooth doesn't help with coughing as much.  If you can get the one that tastes like you just swallowed an angry goblin, that's the right stuff.  

I've had good success taking a hot toddy at first hint of symptoms - Very hot water, a spoonfull of honey, two spoons of lemon juice, and a shot of whiskey. Drink it as hot as you can stand, it's a bit "heroic" (we're not doing this for pleasure)

I will also have a more mellow version when recovering from a cold/flu or just wanting a warm drink on a winter's night. I make that on an earl grey base, and reverse the honey/lemon ratio. Never added cinnamon, but that sounds like a winner! (Or ginger? Pepper? Now we're on our way to just making masala chai...)

How about a hot toddy with elderberry infused whiskey?!
I'm struggling to imagine the flavour - I guess we just have to give it a go and try!

P. Pitcher wrote:I've had good success taking a hot toddy at first hint of symptoms - Very hot water, a spoonfull of honey, two spoons of lemon juice, and a shot of whiskey. Drink it as hot as you can stand, it's a bit "heroic" (we're not doing this for pleasure)

I will also have a more mellow version when recovering from a cold/flu or just wanting a warm drink on a winter's night. I make that on an earl grey base, and reverse the honey/lemon ratio. Never added cinnamon, but that sounds like a winner! (Or ginger? Pepper? Now we're on our way to just making masala chai...)

Masala chai is a WONDERFUL, very healing and tasty tea base, for a hot toddy. I highly recommend it, especially when sick. I often make my masala chai with tulsi (holy basil) tea, instead of black tea, if I'm looking for a caffeine-free version that's even more healing, as well as relaxing.

I’ve been enjoying hot toddies a lot this season because an injury has kept me from my southern home and it’s cold up here.  I put 3-5 cloves and half a stick of cinnamon in a medium mug.  Squeeze in 1/2 a lemon or lime (can be the whole thing). A tablespoon of honey.  Pour in hot water about 3/4 full.  Then add the bourbon - maybe a shot or more.
All ingredients can be modified to the individual’s preference been drinking these socially while playing cards. They don’t put me out unless I’m sickly.

i grew up with the hot whiskey in strong black tea at the first sign of a cold. Occasionally my Gram would use coffee! When I first saw someone drink an "Irish coffee" I was really confused, lol.

Here we make something called "quentão" in the winter that is cachaça-based (you could use rum, or even some white liquor, where I live currently they do it with red wine, which I find yucky but whatever)-- first you fry up some grated or chopped ginger with sugar til it makes syrup and add in cloves, cinnamon sticks, could also add star anise, cardamom pods, add some hot water, then the booze. You could also make it without the booze and it's still lovely (use chamomile tea instead, for example). Use enough ginger to "put hair on your chest". It's a guaranteed feature at every winter festival here.

Once you decide on your hot toddy recipe, you can listen to this while you're making it and taking it:


Might help you feel better.

My mother introduced me to hot-buttered rum in my early teens as a soothing before-bed beverage.  It sounds quite similar to other's recipes here, but is simplified in the constituents which are brown sugar mashed with butter in the bottom of a cup, chased by a dash of rum to your liking.  Boiling water is poured into the cup to dissolved the sugar-butter mash, then a dash of nutmeg is stirred into the brew.

Hmmm...I've gotten myself all worked up now for bedtime!  :-)