If you are in need of a warming, relaxing, cozy drink to heat you up in the winter, as I am, and if you are obsessed with anything ginger, as I am, then this drink is for you.
In the beginning of January Paul and I took a road trip to central Wisconsin to visit his brother. Of course we picked one of the coldest weekends to travel further north than we already live.
The wind chills were negative 13 in Iowa! It was even worse up in Wisconsin, or at least it seemed that way to me. Our original plan was to spend Saturday skiing down some Midwestern “slopes”. Paul and I didn’t even bring our skis because it was so cold. Think, negative 13 plus add more wind chill as you speed down the hill. No amount of mittens and layers of long underwear was going to keep me warm that day. No thank you!
Instead we spent our day walking around downtown, ducking in and out of shops, and visiting art museums. We weren’t even outside for more than 5 minutes at a time, but if the wind would pick up just a little bit, it would send chills down my entire spine. The only part of my body that wasn’t covered in layers was my face, and it hurt, it literally hurt.
So, when we went to grab some dinner at a really awesome local brewery, I knew I needed something to warm me up from the inside out.
Ice cold beer from a local brewery is definitely not what would warm me up.
I ordered a warm spirit, assuming that it would come in a little dinky after-dinner drink mug. As long as it was warm I didn’t care.
It arrived in a large full-sized mug. It was gingery, a little sweet, with the perfect amount of spice and a hint of warm whiskey. It was just what I needed. It warmed me right up.
Imagine if we would have gone skiing that day. I would have needed about 5 drinks to warm me up!
When I returned from our weekend trip I was determined to make my own version of this alluring, warming drink.
What I came up with is the ultimate Ginger Hot Toddy.
Best part is it only has 4 ingredients and it comes together with just a spoon to stir and a microwave to heat.
It is even Paul-approved, which is a surprising bonus because Paul hates anything that has a strong ginger flavor.
Trust me; if you ever need a drink to warm you up on a wintery night, this is the one.
It is a little sweet with a lot of spicy ginger, and with the warming flavors of honey and a good Irish whiskey. I know what my drink of choice will be this weekend!
This ginger hot toddy will warm you from the inside out. It gets its ginger flavor from ginger beer. All you need is a microwave to warm it up and a spoon to mix.
Ingredients
UnitsScale
1ounce good quality whiskey (I used Jameson Irish Whiskey)
1 tablespoon honey
1 bottle (12 ounces) ginger beer * (see notes for suggestions on ginger beer)
1 wedge of lemon, for garnish and for squeezing
Instructions
In a mug, or a microwave-safe glass add the whiskey and honey. Gently heat in the microwave, just to warm it slightly. Use a spoon to mix the honey into the whiskey, until dissolved.
Pour in the bottle of ginger beer, stir to combine. Gently heat in the microwave until warm. You don’t want it to be hot like tea or coffee, because the carbonation and the spiciness of the ginger beer irritate the back of the throat if served too hot.
Serve immediately with a lemon wedge on the rim. I like the lemon squeezed into the hot toddy.
Notes
*Do not use ginger ale for this recipe. I recently learned that the difference between ginger ale and ginger beer is huge. Ginger ale is more of a traditional pop that has a little artificial ginger flavoring; it has much more of a syrupy consistency and is much more sugary. Ginger beer, on the other hand, is made from fresh ginger juice and is usually sweetened with natural cane sugar. The ginger flavor is very intense and is usually quite a bit spicy, like true ginger should be. Ginger beer is usually non-alcoholic, although there are a few brands that do contain alcohol. I found my ginger beer in the organic section of my local grocery store. If you can’t find it in a store I suggest looking online.
For more information on selecting brands of ginger beer, read this post by Love and Olive Oil
To complement the citrus notes in your Hot Toddy, other lemon-based foods pair well such as lemon bars or lemon-infused cakes. Ginger cookies or snaps provide a spicy and warm contrast to the soothing qualities of the Hot Toddy.
Mixing the two under any circ*mstances is considered risky because, according to the Food and Drug Administration (and essentially all medical professionals), it has the potential to cause severe liver damage, or even death.
While these two drinks were once identical, ginger ale is typically sweeter, non-alcoholic, and made using artificial carbonation.Ginger beer tends to be spicier and is carbonated via fermentation. As a result, it may contain alcohol, though sometimes in amounts as low as 0.5% ABV.
Best consumed in small doses and infrequently, Hot Toddies can only be served as as medicine to those 21 and over, should not replace a medical professional's advice, and are best followed by a tall glass of water, some herbal tea, and plenty of rest and TLC.
For those of you who want to maximize the whiskey ginger's complex flavors, rye whiskey is the way -- but not just any old rye will do. Two rye whiskeys come to mind. High West Double Rye! is a wonderful product coming out of Park City, Utah.
The components of a hot toddy can help relieve other symptoms associated with cold and flu. In a 2008 study , participants reported that consuming a hot beverage provided immediate and sustained relief from symptoms of runny nose, cough, sneezing, sore throat, chilliness, and tiredness.
A hot toddy, also known as hot whiskey in Ireland, and occasionally called southern cough syrup within the Southern United States, is typically a mixed drink made of liquor and water with honey (or in some recipes, sugar), lemon, herbs (such as tea) and spices, and served hot.
While the alcohol in one drink is great for falling asleep and feeling rested, one too many and you may wake up the next morning with worse symptoms than you had before. So stick to one, and you should be good to go.
How Long Should You Wait To Drink After Taking Cough Medicine? Because alcohol is an immunosuppressant, to avoid worsening your illness, you should avoid alcohol entirely while you recover from your cough or cold. However, you should also avoid alcohol while DXM is in your system.
Yes, whiskey can be good for a cold because it's a decongestant. Being sick means your nasal tissues have become inflamed, which causes a lot of difficulty when breathing. Though it's common to believe that excess mucus is what causes congestion, this is actually not the case.
While the traditional choice for this co*cktail is rye, bourbon or other American whiskeys can do the job. A high-rye Canadian whisky could also work in a pinch, but the key is to choose a spirit with enough oomph to announce its presence rather than be overpowered by the ginger.
Hot toddies are reported to help reduce cold symptoms, although you really don't want to overdo it on the whiskey. Your body needs to heal, and the simple combination of warm water, honey and lemon combined can work wonders. Alcohol doesn't mix well with over-the-counter and prescription medications.
From sweet honey to spicy cinnamon and bitters to bourbon, Jim Beam Hot Toddy offers the full flavor of a professionally made hot toddy in one, ready-to-serve bottle. No mixing or special ingredients needed. Jim Beam Hot Toddy is the perfect, pre-mixed hot toddy co*cktail. Just pour, warm and serve.
The Hot Toddy recipe is one of pure comfort: sweet honey, zingy ginger and exotic spices melt together when topped with hot water, with Chivas XV providing a warming kick. Perfect for warming up and winding down.
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The wind chills were negative 13 in Iowa! It was even worse up in Wisconsin, or at least it seemed that way to me. Our original plan was to spend Saturday skiing down some Midwestern “slopes”. Paul and I didn’t even bring our skis because it was so cold. Think, negative 13 plus add more wind chill as you speed down the hill. No amount of mittens and layers of long underwear was going to keep me warm that day. No thank you!
