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Toddy

Style

A toddy is a hot drink, usually whisky with lemon, honey and hot water, served in a heatproof glass or mug.

Also called: hot drink

Spirit
1.5 oz (44 ml) whisky
Hot water
2 oz (60 ml), just off the boil
Lemon and honey
0.25 oz (7.5 ml) each
First printed reference
1741, England
Pure alcohol
about 14 g, one US standard drink
Formula
1.5 oz (44 ml) whisky, 0.25 oz (7.5 ml) lemon juice, 0.25 oz (7.5 ml) honey syrup, 2 oz (60 ml) boiling water

What toddy means

Hot water is what sets a toddy apart. You pour 2 oz (60 ml) just off the boil over whisky, lemon and honey, so the drink arrives warm instead of cold. The name shows up on menus as Hot Toddy, and some bars make a Hot Gin Toddy instead.

The word comes from the Hindi and Urdu tari, the sap of the palmyra palm. A toddy holds 1.5 oz (44 ml) of whisky, or about 14 g of pure alcohol. That is one US standard drink by the NIAAA measure, so it can get you drunk like any other drink with that much spirit.

One popular idea is that a hot toddy cures a cold. It does not. Warm water, honey and lemon may soothe a sore throat, but no research shows the alcohol helps, and alcohol can dehydrate you. People drink one for comfort when they feel under the weather, so treat it as a warm drink, not as medicine.

How to make a toddy

Warm the glass, add the whisky, lemon and honey syrup, then top with 2 oz (60 ml) of water just off the boil.

  1. 1.Pick a heatproof glass or mug with a handle, since the water is near boiling.
  2. 2.Warm the glass with hot water, then pour that water out.
  3. 3.Add 1.5 oz (44 ml) whisky, 0.25 oz (7.5 ml) lemon juice and 0.25 oz (7.5 ml) honey syrup.
  4. 4.Top with 2 oz (60 ml) of water just off the boil. Add three cloves and a cinnamon stick if you like, since ground cloves are much stronger than whole ones.

Toddy compared

  • SlingA sling and a toddy share spirit, sugar and water. The sling was usually served cold, while the toddy is most often hot.
  • PunchPunch adds citrus and spice, and it is made by the bowl. A toddy is a single hot serve, built in the glass.
  • FlipA flip has egg in it, and a toddy has none.
  • NightcapA nightcap is any drink before bed. A hot toddy is one common choice for it.

Examples

  • Hot Toddy
  • Hot Gin Toddy
  • Hot Buttered Rum
  • Irish Coffee
  • Tom and Jerry
  • Blue Blazer
  • Mulled Wine

Related terms

Ingredients

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Garçon explains every step as you make the drink.

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