Today’s Spotlight is on the Hot Toddy.

Hot toddy is typically a mixed drink cocktail made with liquor, hot water, spices, sugar or honey, lemon, herbs and served hot. It’s popular during the cold months and especially around Christmas. A hot toddy is also known as hot whiskey in Ireland.

Hot toddy recipes vary, and hot toddy is traditionally drunk before retiring for the night, in wet or cold weather or to relieve the symptoms of the cold and flu. The hot Toddy is known to alleviate a sore throat and symptoms from the common cold and flu. The hot toddy is made with: Lemon, Honey, Whiskey.

The ingredients in a hot toddy have cough-suppressing properties. The science behind a hot toddy includes:

• Alcohol: Dilutes blood vessels, which helps clear mucus. Alcohol also contains ellagic acid, which is an antioxidant that improves immune function and fights infections.
• Whiskey: Can relieve aching muscles and soothe a sore throat.
• Lemon: Contains powerful antioxidants.
• Honey: Has anti-inflammatory properties.
• Spices: Stimulate saliva, which helps a sore throat.

Other ingredients that can be added to taste include Tea, Clove and Ginger.

 

History

The hot toddy is believed to have been invented in Scotland in the 18th century.  The origin of the hot Toddy is disputed. One story says that an Irish doctor named Robert Bentley Todd prescribed a mixture of hot brandy, water, cinnamon, and sugar to his patients. Another story says that the first hot toddies were made in Edinburgh’s pubs using Scotch whiskey and hot water from Tod’s Well.

Other origin stories include:

• Doctors in 18th-century Scotland
• British-controlled India in the 1610s
• West Indian plantations

The truth is likely a combination of the two stories. Doctors may have heard about hot toddies from India and started incorporating them into prescriptions.

The word toddy comes from the Hindi word “taddy”, which translates to a drink made with fermented palm sap. The oldest record of the recipe is from 1786.

 

Here are some fun facts about hot toddies:

• The first hot toddies were made in Edinburgh’s pubs using Scotch whiskey and hot water from Tod’s Well.
• The British claimed the drink as their own, and it’s still a common pub staple in England today.
• The drink spread to North America during the Revolutionary War, when American colonists drank hot toddies as a form of “liquid courage” before fighting.
• National Hot Toddy Day is January 11th.
• The drink is about 6% ABV (12 proof).

 

Here is a Hot Toddy Recipe for you to try:

Ingredients:

• 1-ounce dark rum or bourbon
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon pure honey
• 1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, optional
• 1/4 cup hot water or brewed tea
• Lemon slice

Instructions:

Put honey, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar in a warmed mug. Add hot water or hot tea and stir until the honey has dissolved. Add rum or the bourbon, stir then finish with a lemon slice.

 

Here are some tips for making hot toddies:

• Warm the mug before making the drink.
• Use more or less water depending on how strong you want the drink to be.
• You can add other ingredients like tea, cloves, star anise pods, and cinnamon sticks.

 

 

Consumption

Hot toddies are a popular drink in Scotland and England. They’re also known as hot whiskey in Ireland.

Hot toddies are popular during the cold months and especially around Christmas. They’re often served in pubs.

The British claimed the drink as their own. During cold and damp winters, it became common for consumers to pour hot water into their scotch or whiskey. With time, spices were thrown into the mix resulting in the classic we know today.

 

Celebrating Hot Toddy

National Hot Toddy Day is celebrated each year on January 11. Let us know in the comments if you drink Hot Toddy’s socially or for medicinal purposes.