Chef Thomas
A Proper Wassail Bowl
Hot spiced ale with roasted apples bobbing on the surface, honeyed and fragrant with cinnamon and orange peel, the oldest winter drink in the British kitchen and still the best.
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A Proper Hot Toddy
Created by Chef Thomas
A winter glass of whisky, honey, and lemon, stirred together in a warm mug and carried up to bed when the cough won't leave and the evening has asked you politely to stop.
Beverages
British
Comfort Food
Weeknight
3 min
Active Time
2 min cook•5 min total
Yield1 toddy
There's a particular kind of February evening when your throat feels lined with wool and the light has gone by four and you can't quite face another cup of tea. That's when you make one of these. Not before. A hot toddy isn't really a drink, it's a small ceremony of giving up gracefully.
Whisky, honey, lemon, boiling water. That's the whole thing. The honey soothes, the lemon cuts, the whisky warms from the inside out, and the steam on your face does half the work before you've even taken a sip. I don't know whether it actually cures a cold. I do know that it makes being unwell feel less like a problem and more like a night off.
Don't waste a good whisky on this. A decent supermarket blend is what you want, something honest and smoky enough to hold its own against the honey. Save the single malt for when you're well enough to taste it properly. A toddy isn't about the whisky, it's about the whole glass singing together.
I wrote it down in the notebook years ago after a terrible winter cough: whisky, lemon, honey, bed. Four words. It's the only cold remedy I've ever kept.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
Scotch whisky
Quantity
50ml
a decent blend, nothing precious
runny honey
Quantity
1 tablespoon
or more to taste
lemon juice
Quantity
2 tablespoons
freshly squeezed, about half a lemon
boiling water
Quantity
150ml
lemon peel
Quantity
1 strip
whole cloves
Quantity
2
cinnamon stick (optional)
Quantity
1 small
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Scotch whiskya decent blend, nothing precious | 50ml |
| runny honeyor more to taste | 1 tablespoon |
| lemon juicefreshly squeezed, about half a lemon | 2 tablespoons |
| boiling water | 150ml |
| lemon peel | 1 strip |
| whole cloves | 2 |
| cinnamon stick (optional) | 1 small |
Equipment Needed
- •Heatproof glass or heavy ceramic mug
- •Teaspoon for stirring
- •Kettle
Instructions
- 1
Warm the glass
Fill a sturdy heatproof glass or mug with hot water from the tap and let it sit for a minute while the kettle comes to the boil. A cold glass will rob the drink of half its warmth before you've taken the first sip. Tip the water out when you're ready.
Use a glass with a handle if you have one, or a heavy ceramic mug. Thin glass can crack when the boiling water hits it. - 2
Build the base
Spoon the honey into the warmed glass. Add the lemon juice and stir until the honey starts to loosen. Drop in the strip of lemon peel, the cloves, and the cinnamon stick if you're using it. Give it a moment. The spices need the warmth to wake up.
- 3
Pour the whisky
Add the whisky. It should meet the honey and lemon and go slightly cloudy, fragrant in a way that makes you forget the cough for a second. Don't overthink the whisky. A decent supermarket blend is exactly what this drink wants. Single malts are wasted here, and the honey and lemon will bury them anyway.
If you haven't got Scotch, brandy works. Dark rum works even better in some moods. A recipe is a conversation, not a contract. - 4
Top with boiling water
Pour the freshly boiled water into the glass. Not water that's been sitting, water that's just come off the boil. Stir gently with a spoon until the honey has dissolved completely. Taste it. If it's too sharp, add more honey. If it's too sweet, more lemon. Season and taste. Then taste again. Take it to bed with a book.
Chef Tips
- •Use a lemon that feels heavy for its size and smells of something when you scratch the skin. Bottled lemon juice will do in an emergency, but the difference between a fresh lemon and the bottled stuff is the difference between a toddy that works and one that's just hot whisky.
- •Warm the glass first. Always. A cold glass turns a hot toddy lukewarm in about thirty seconds, and lukewarm is the one temperature this drink can't survive.
- •The cloves and cinnamon are optional but I'd include them. They turn an ordinary glass of hot whisky into something that smells like Christmas and feels like a decision. Two cloves is plenty. Three starts to taste medicinal in the wrong way.
- •If you're making this for a cold, drink it just before bed. The warmth and the whisky together will send you off, and you'll wake up feeling human again. Or closer to it.
Advance Preparation
- •This is not a drink to make ahead. A toddy is a thing of the moment, built in the glass and drunk while it's still properly hot. The whole point is the ritual of making it when you need it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 250g)
Calories
180 calories
Total Fat
0 g
Saturated Fat
0 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
0 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
5 mg
Total Carbohydrates
19 g
Dietary Fiber
0 g
Sugars
18 g
Protein
0 g
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