Hot Toddy (Jeffrey Morgenthaler)

Hot Toddies are one of those drinks that is almost a category on its own because of how many variations exist. Much like with Sangria or a Whiskey Smash, it is up to you to add ingredients that you like, hopefully from your region, and truly make it your own.

Brandy or any type of whisk(e)y are the most commonly used spirits. But it's not unheard of to use rum or gin (particularly barrel-aged gin). Other additions, such as sherry or port, also make great pairings.

Cold reduces flavor (because it numbs your tongue). In contrast, heat brings out aromatics in your ingredients. Crucially, citrus and spices in your garnish play a key role in tempering the smell of alcohol, while letting the barrel notes to come through.

The key to a Hot Toddy is temperature - don't let the drink cool off before you serve it! Some bartenders heat up all the ingredients via bain-marie to ensure the drink is served at the right temperature.

One common variant is to add tea into the mix.

It's no surprise that the oldest mention of a Hot Toddy comes from the oldest bartending book: Jerry Thomas Bartenders Guide (1862). That being said, a "Whiskey Toddy" is mentioned in the first novel by Charles Dickens, The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club in 1836.

The word toddy comes from the Bhojpuri (India) word tadi, where it refers to a drink using the fermented sap of palm trees.

Some sources claim that the drink is named after a doctor named Robert Bentley Todd, who commonly prescribed hot drinks with a brandy base, along with sugar and spices, to cure common ailments.

The Hot Toddy is also known as Hot Whiskey or Southern Cough Syrup.