With fall officially here, it is time to indulge in one of my cool weather favorites…the hot toddy. It is a much needed balm when it is damp and cold and I’m recovering from a sinus infection. The warm alcoholic drink soothes my sore throat and warms me all over.
You can use any type of spirit for your hot toddy. The traditional recipe is a mix of whiskey, hot water, sugar, and lemon or orange. I recommend you avoid the cheapest bottles, though. I think the heat can make the alcohol taste even sharper, so I go with one of my favorite (and affordable) standbys – Four Roses Yellow Label Bourbon.
Bourbon Hot Toddy
Makes 1 drink
lemon slice studded with cloves
1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
pinch of grated nutmeg
1 1/2 ounce bourbon
4 to 6 ounces boiling water
1 cinnamon stick
Drop the clove-studded lemon slice into the bottom of your heat-resistant mug. Add sugar, nutmeg, and bourbon. Pour in hot water and stir with cinnamon stick.
Cheers!
What I love about the toddy is that its existence is like a wonderful old tale, and every teller of its story takes it in a new direction. I think I’ve told you this before, but my grandmom used to use Courvoisier, hot water, honey and lemon. Then she would put a pat of butter on top “to help it slide down the throat.” My grandpa (on the other side of the family) swears it cured his horrible cold one winter. The Toddy– it’s like warm love in a glass.