When I was a little girl being sick meant Mom would bring me ginger ale and hot lemon and honey to sooth my throat. It meant staying home from school and watching Perry Mason and the Price is Right on daytime television, Mom’s cool hand on my hot forehead. Comfort. Love.
Like Christmas, being sick as an adult is a santa-less shadow of the childhood memory. Feverish and flu cranky I just want to crawl under the covers and climb back into childhood but there is no time machine here. Just booze.
I’ve shared a toddy or two with you in the past but they were all fancy and fit for company. Today’s drink is the one I have when my throat tickles and I need to sleep. There is actually a bit of science behind it. According to Web MD clove is a natural expectorant that might calm nausea as well. Lemon aids in digestion and honey calms coughs. And even the booze (in moderation, of course) can loosen things up. I like to have one toddy with brandy or irish whiskey and one without.
The recipe below makes a barely sweet, slightly lemony, definitely boozy drink. The clove flavor will become more prominent the longer the drink sits. The glass pictured in the video is actually too small, 12 ounces or larger would be best, room to stir or swirl or sniff (If you can).
Cold Prevention 101: THE HOT TODDY
THE HOT TODDY
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of brown booze brandy or whiskey would be my top two choices
- one thick round of lemon studded with 6-8 whole cloves
- 1/2 tsp honey
- the juice from 1/4 of a small lemon about 1-2 teaspoons
- hot water to top and to taste about 4 ounces, but sometimes a little more or a little less
Instructions
- place the clove studded lemon slice in a heat proof glass and top with honey, booze, and fresh lemon juice
- if you want a hotter more flavorful toddy you can microwave the booze and honey mixture for 20-30 seconds
- otherwise top the mixture with 4 ounces hot water and stir to combine
- serve hot
I hope you feel better soon, Melinda. I love your remedy since there is ‘fun’ in it, too 😛
I like your video, by the way. (I am still kind of afraid to do it. hahaha)
Get well soon.