Hot Toddy for Cough or Cold

This Hot Toddy recipe can be mixed up at home with simple ingredients like lemon, honey, whiskey, and tea. It’s a comforting hot cocktail that can soothe a sore throat, reduce congestion, and aid sleep.

This Hotty Toddy for Cough is sure to get you through even the worst of colds

We all have home remedies that our family has passed down for generations, and I know that one that always helps get me through a cold is a good, strong Old Fashioned Hot Toddy.

This concoction always seems to help me sleep as well as soothe my throat, two things I usually really need and are hard to come when sick, along with my heating pad.

And while there likely isn’t a wrong way to make a toddy, there is definitely a GOOD way that makes it taste great!

Do not drink a hot toddy while also taking cold medicine.

What is a Hot Toddy?

It is an alcoholic warm drink used to aid sleep and soothe sore throats. Usually, the drink is made with hot water, liquor, lemon, honey, and spice. It’s great to fight off cold and flu or enjoy on a cold winter night.

Benefits of drinking a Hot Toddy for Cold

This combination of heat and ingredients packs several benefits for fighting a cold including aiding in decongestion, reducing inflammation, and overall suppressing common cold symptoms such as sore throat and coughing.

Here are the basic ingredients, and all you need is a mug and boiling water. Once you have these things, you’ll be ready when cold symptoms hit!

Hot Toddy Recipe ingredients

• Tea – Yes, tea! A classic hot toddy is made with just hot water, but why let that water go to waste when you can add a tea bag to it! If rest is your goal, I’d use an herbal tea or white tea like chamomile or jasmine. However, If you just want to lay on the couch and watch Netflix all afternoon, my favorite flavors are this Peaches and Ginger tea and this African Autumn tea.
• Liquor – You can choose whichever liquor you prefer. Some of the more popular options include whiskey, brandy, white or dark rum, scotch, and gin. I personally prefer Irish Whiskey, but Bourbon and Gunpowder Gin are nice options, too.
• Honey – A long-time natural cough suppressant, your throat will thank you for this thick amber sweetener! It’s best to use local honey, one from the same county you live in, but in a pinch, good store-bought honey will do.
• Lemon – This vibrant citrus is a key component of a cold-busting toddy, no matter how you mix the other ingredients. It’s important that you use fresh lemon juice and not bottled. The lemon juice added to hot water or tea can help to reduce congestion.
• Spice – Now, this is truly up to you. For me, I use tea, while those who use just straight-up hot water may decide to add a cinnamon stick or whole cloves to their toddies for additional spice.
• Vinegar – Now, I personally like the taste of my hot toddies, but some people like them to really pack a punch, and they add Raw Apple Cider Vinegar to them; about 1 to 2 tablespoons should be plenty if you decide to try it out.

Hotty Toddy Recipe Variations

If you’re looking for different ways to make and enjoy a hot toddy, it’s super easy to do, here are a few ideas:

• Try a different tea
• Try a different alcohol
• Try a different citrus

How to Make a Hot Toddy

As I said, there are a million ways to make one; there are just so many ingredients and so many ratios to choose from! However, this is my favorite way to make them!

1. Prepare your tea and let it steep for the directed amount of time on the packaging.
2. Add the honey.
3. Pour in the lemon juice.
4. Top off with the whiskey or other alcohol of choice and stir with a cinnamon stick. Serve with a lemon slice.

Ok my husband usually makes me the hot toddy but he was outside working and I have a bad sore throat so I Pinterested of course. I just messaged my husband and said “Sorry if I hurt your feelings Babe, but I’ve trumped your Hot Toddy. Lol’ This was awesome and I’m not a fan of Hot Toddy’s. Tea is a brilliant idea and the lemon makes it even better.

– Candace

What is the Best Whiskey for Hot Toddy?

I personally prefer using Irish Whiskey because I think it lends itself nicely to the tea. But Bourbon is also a fine choice.

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