The History of the Hot Toddy

One of the most well known drinks that comes along every time the weather turns cold is the Hot Toddy. The Hot Toddy is an old drink, thought to come to us from Scotland.

There are two theories on where the name itself came from. One is that it was named after Todian Springs which brought the water to the area in Scotland where whiskey was made. The second is that it was derived from the name of a drink involving palm sap from India and the term was brought to Scotland via the East India Trading Company. This is thought to be quite odd seeing as palm sap is not and never was an ingredient in the drink but who knows. Maybe we will never truly know the origin of the Hot Toddy!

While there is no one way to make a Hot Toddy, there are several types of ingredients that are to be expected. Hot water, tea or cider, lemon, some sort of liquor such as whiskey, brandy, gin or in rare cases tequila, a type of sweetener such as honey and lemon juice. A spice such as clove and/or cinnamon is often used as well.  The amount of each ingredient you put in changes the recipe drastically so do some experimenting and see how you like your Hot Toddy! This drink is great for cold nights by the fire with a friend or while reading your favorite book. Enjoy!