How to Make A Hot Tottie

A hot tottie will help soothe a sore throat.

Being sick is never fun, and neither is taking a slew of medications that make your head spin. Sometimes a simple hot tea drink with honey is all you need to relieve your cold or flu symptoms. Aside from tea, try a hot tottie, which combines boiling hot water, honey, spices and lemon with alcohol. This classic drink, historically used as a cold and flu remedy, is not a miracle; it will warm your body up and soothe your throat. Also, the alcohol will help you sleep, which is the most important factor for a speedy recovery.

Things You'll Need

• 4-5 oz. boiling water
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp. honey
• 2 oz. liquor (bourbon, rum, whiskey, brandy)

Instructions

1. Pour boiling water into a coffee mug to warm, then pour out the water.

2. Place the whole cloves, cinnamon stick and honey into the mug.

3. Add the boiling water to the mug and stir with the cinnamon stick until the honey fully dissolves.

4. Add the bourbon, rum, brandy or whisky. Bourbon is the most commonly-used liquor for hot totties, however.

5. Squeeze lemon juice from a wedge into the drink and drop the wedge into the mug.

Tips & Warnings

• Sprinkle nutmeg or allspice on top for added flavor.

References

• Drink of the Week; Hot Toddy; Jonas Halpren; January 2011
• CNN Eatocracy: Starve a Fever, Drink a Toddy?; Sam Meyer; December 2010
• Fine Cooking; Bourbon Hot Toddy; Adem Tepedelen

Resources

• Yum Sugar; National Hot Toddy Day; January 2007
• Metromix New York; One Drink, Five Ways: The Hot Toddy; Joshua M. Bernstein; January 2009