Toddy

Here’s a toddy recipe that’s wonderfully warming and good for what ails you. To make one toddy you will need:

• The juice from one lemon
• One teaspoon of honey
• A generous shot of whiskey
• 5-10 whole cloves
• A stick of cinnamon bark

Put all of the ingredients into a mug or glass and top up with boiling water (hot just won’t do it). Leave it to steep for about 5 minutes, then sit back, sip, smile, and relax.

For a spicier toddy, add a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger root to the mix. The spicy version is particularly good if you’re suffering from a cold.

LaggedyAnne's Grandma's Famous Hot Toddy

Hot toddies are a great way to chase a cold or flu away, and are commonly enjoyed before bedtime.

Boil a pot of water. Fill a coffee mug 1/3rd full of Wild Turkey (a brand of whiskey). Add about 1 teaspoon of sugar to the liquor, then fill the cup with hot water. Add a teaspoon of honey, a squirt of fresh lemon, and sprinkle with cinnamon to taste.

The great thing about toddies is that they are completely improvisational. Rather than whiskey, you might try brandy or rum. Instead of lemon, try orange or other citrus flavors. Skip the cinnamon and go with cloves or nutmeg for an earthier flavor.

To get the best results, breathe in the steam while waiting for your mug to cool slightly. Once the toddy is cool enough for your mouth, enjoy!

toddy

Originally the juice of the cocoa tree, and afterwards rum, water, sugar, and nutmeg.

The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.

Tod"dy (?), n. [Formed from Hind. tai the juice of the palmyra tree, popularly, toddy, fr. ta the palmyra tree, Skr. tala.]

1.

A juice drawn from various kinds of palms in the East Indies; or, a spirituous liquor procured from it by fermentation.

2.

A mixture of spirit and hot water sweetened.

⇒ Toddy differs from grog in having a less proportion of spirit, and is being made hot and sweetened.

Toddy bird Zool., a weaver bird of the East Indies and India: -- so called from its fondness for the juice of the palm. -- Toddy cat Zool., the common paradoxure; the palm cat.

 

© Webster 1913.