Warm Up this Winter with a Hot Tea Toddy

Looking for a fun way to start the year? We’d like to suggest a new tradition, celebrating National Hot Toddy Day. It’s always January 11, and this year it’s on Tuesday. We can’t think of any better way to break up the week with a celebration than Hot Toddy Tuesday. Share these recipes with colleagues at lunch or afternoon break, or invite people over for a hearty stew and your toddy choices. Now THAT’s how to celebrate a new year or end post-holiday ennui.

Three of the core ingredients are curatives: honey, tea, and lemon. In particular, the combo acts as a cure-all for colds, flus and their accompanying decongestion. Lemons have loads of vitamin C and reduce inflammation; honey is a natural antimicrobial which fights viruses and errant bacteria and may ameliorate coughing. Tea will soothe a sore throat, decrease inflammation, and relax the body as it warms it.

For most people, a toddy isn’t a toddy without spirits, and a shot of whisky is ideal. It even helps dilate blood vessels allowing your mucus membranes to open and rid themselves of infection. You’ll be up and at’em in no time. Irish whisky, ye, Scotch or bourbon or even vodka make delicious hot toddys.

As for the tea, you can use black or green and add spices to taste. Cinnamon is a particularly good spice to add as it is antibacterial, antiviral, and has ant-inflammatory properties. Allspice, cardamom, clove, fresh ginger, star anise, nutmeg or even a dash of pepper will be great. Other modern additions include bitters, apple cider vinegar, lime juice in lieu of lemon juice. Substitutes for honey work well for the flavor of the toddy, but have fewer medicinal benefits. The best substitute for easy mixing is a simple sugar syrup, or choose agave nectar, maple syrup or brown sugar. No matter what spices or sweeteners you use, make sure they’re completely dissolved in the hot tea for best flavor and health benefits.

BLACK TEA TODDY

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups hot black tea (Keemun, Assam or your favorite Breakfast Blend)
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp EACH ground cloves and ground nutmeg
• 1 lemon wedge for garnish of extra juice

Directions:

Brew the tea. Pour the honey, lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a large mug first, then pour in the hot tea. Stir until both the honey and spices are completely dissolved. Cut through the wedge so it fits on the lip of the mug, or use it to squeeze in additional juice.. You can substitute a cinnamon stick instead of the ground cinnamon. It adds spice and serves as a stirrer. Enjoy! (To make this recipe with alcohol, add ¼ cup of whisky, rum, vodka, rye or bourbon.)

GREEN TEA HOT TODDY

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp honey
• ¼ c hot brewed green tea (Gunpowder or Sencha)
• ¼ c whisky (Irish, Scotch or Japanese Scotch are particularly fine.)
• 1 lemon slice

Directions:

Brew the tea. Stir 1 tablespoon honey into 1/4 cup hot brewed green tea until honey completely dissolves. Stir in 1/4 cup malt whiskey and garnish with a lemon slice. Makes 1 drink.

Herbals work well too if they do not conflict with the spices. Consider chamomile, hibiscus, or Adagio's limited-edition Yuletide Toddy, and use in the same quantities as noted for green or black tea toddys (though less spice would be needed if using Yuletide Toddy).

History of the Hot Toddy

The history of the hot toddy is a little blurry but the legends are fun to share. One is that the drink first began in the early 16th century and was named tārī (a Hindi word pronounced taddy) which was made from the Indian fermented tree sap, a popular folk remedy for congestion. The mixture, originally served cold, included alcohol, sugar, water, and spices. Adding hot water, and later hot tea, quickly elevated its cure-all capacity.

Another story is that the toddy was created by Irish doctor Robert Bently Todd who prescribed his patients with this elixir for the common cold for both children and adults: hot brandy, Canella (white cinnamon), sugar syrup, and hot water. Some historians believe this recipe was the “liquid courage” which American colonists drank when preparing to fight the British during the Revolutionary War. Food historians dispute both stories plus a third, that the Scots developed the hot toddy to make raw Scotch whisky more palatable by adding sugar, dates, saffron, mace, nuts, and cinnamon. As whisky makers became more adept, there was less call for spices or sweeteners, yet the idea of a hot drink with spices and alcohol has endured probably because it tastes good and, yes, it makes one feel better.

Medical professionals actually agree that a hot toddy is good for colds and mild respiratory congestion. Both the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University in the U.K. and the Mayo Clinic in the U.S. have cited the spices, which stimulate saliva to help ease a sore throat, and the combination of lemon and honey stimulate mucus drainage. And, of course, warm liquids ease congestion and prevent dehydration. Neither institution suggests large doses of whisky but agree that a small amount can totally ease the stress that comes with being ill from a cold.

NOTE: January 11th is also two other celebrations: National Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day and World Sketchnote Day. A hot tea toddy after splashing or while sketching quietly by the fire sound like a perfect way to acknowledge the day. To your health!