When it's frigid winter outside, there is one ultimate cocktail that can take away all our woes. Yes, you guessed that right. It is the soothing and comforting Hot Toddy. This is not just a cocktail but a perfect winter warmer that has zero haters. It can lift up your spirits and can also help you in recovering from a sore throat. We don’t need a single day to appreciate this drink but every day is a hot toddy day!
There could be several variations of this drink but the original seems to be the best and perfect. Wanna know how this warming cocktail came to being? Well, some legends believe that this cocktail can be traced back to India when it was under British control. For those who don’t know, "taddy" in Hindi actually means a "drink made of fermented palm sap". By the end of the 1700s, the word gained quite a popularity as a beverage containing alcohol, water, hot sugar, and a lot of spices. The British took that beverage along and claimed it as their own.
Another legend believes that doctor Robert Bentley Todd was the one who created the hot toddy. The legend says that Todd requested his patients to consume a mixture of warmed brandy, sugar water, and cinnamon for curing the ailments that may have been affecting them. The most likely answer as to how the drink came to be is a combination of both theories. It is likely that the doctors caught wind of the fact that Indians had created hot toddies and found a way to incorporate them into their treatment plans. Regardless of the fact of who created this drink, we are quite thankful that it got created. Isn’t it?
In the freezing winter season, a cocktail as enjoyable as the hot toddy is certainly no exception. Moreover, the U.K.'s routes for trading with India simply made spices easier to attain. In no time, the pubs caught on to the fact that the whisky, hot water, and a combination of spices would create a pleasant flavor that everybody is going to love. I think they were right!
Just to sort out your winters, here’s how you can make hot toddy at home.
Ingredients
- 2 parts of bourbon
- 1 part Honey
- 2 parts Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1/4 cup Hot Water
- Some lemon Peel
Method
- Put bourbon, honey, and lemon juice in a mug.
- Add hot water and stir until the honey is dissolved properly
- Garnish with a lemon peel and serve!