What is a Hot Toddy and What is the Best Way to Enjoy Them This Winter?
Hot toddies have been an American autumn and winter favorite for many years, garnering the reputation for being the go-to when suffering with a cold or flu, or just needing to warm up from the inside out. The hot toddy is also known as the hot totty or a hot whisky in Scotland, where the drink originated, according to some stories.
The hot toddy is said to have been created by Robert Bentley Todd, who was an Irish physician in the first half of the nineteenth century. He became famous for prescribing a drink made up of brandy (although now made most often with whiskey or bourbon), white cinnamon, sugar syrup, and hot water, called the hot toddy. Another legend has it that the name comes from the Indian toddy drink that is made with fermented sap from palm trees (Scottish sailors and merchants traveled to India via the East India Company).
Below are recipes for three delicious hot toddy recipes, as there are many ways to enjoy this cozy drink.
Minimal Hot Toddy
Ingredients:
4 oz. water
1.5 oz. whiskey
2-4 tsp. sugar, according to taste (can substitute honey)
Slice of lemon
Directions:1. Combine the water, sugar, and lemon in a small saucepan and place over medium heat on the stove.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour into a teacup, or another cup or glass that can withstand high temperatures.
3. Add the whiskey and stir well.
Classic Hot Toddy
Ingredients:
3 oz. water
2 oz. tea
2 oz. bourbon
1-3 tsp. sugar, according to taste (can substitute honey)
Slice of lemon
Directions:1. Combine the water, sugar, and lemon in a small saucepan and place over medium heat on the stove.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour into a teacup, or another cup or glass that can withstand high temperatures.
3. Add the whiskey and tea (that you steeped separately beforehand) and stir well. Depending on your taste, you can skip the separate steeping and add the tea bag directly to the hot water, which will give you a stronger tea flavor.
4. Optional: Grate a little fresh nutmeg over the top.
Rum Hot Toddy
Ingredients:
4 oz. water
2-4 tsp. sugar, according to taste (can substitute honey)
2 oz. Old Tom gin
Directions:1. Combine the water, sugar, and lemon in a small saucepan and place over medium heat on the stove.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour into a teacup, or another cup or glass that can withstand high temperatures.
3. Add the gin and stir well.
