The whisky mac toddy is just a whisky mac topped with hot water but something magical happens in this addition, transforming it into something soft, gentle, and warming. Scotch whisky and ginger wine are a solid pair, if a bit strongly-flavored; when those flavors are heated and lengthened, subtle new flavor compounds emerge. The boggy smoke and the sharp ginger flavors recede, allowing fruit and wood flavors to take center stage.