Hot toddy is a name, used in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, for a mixed drink that is served hot. There are many variations; the essential elements are:

• brandy or whiskey;
• hot water (or other hot liquid such as tea or coffee);
• a sweetener, such as honey, sugar syrup, or brown sugar syrup;
• (often) spices, generally "brown" spices such as cinnamon or clove;
• (often) citrus: lemon or orange.

Hot toddies (like mulled cider) are traditionally considered appropriate for relaxing in the evening before retiring, or following exposure to severe weather. Hot toddies were traditionally believed to have a curative effect on colds or flu. The archetypic hot toddy context is described in Louis Joseph Vance 's 1909 novel The Bronze Bell :

...the stranger at the door was aware of a slight jarring as though some more than ordinarily brutal gust of wind had shaken the house upon its foundation... the door swung wide. A flood of radiance together with a gust of heated air struck him in the face. Dazzled, he reeled across the threshold.

The man before him stepped quickly forward and with two strong hands clasped his shoulders. ... "Sit down." He swung Amber about, gently guiding him to a chair. "You look pretty well done up. How long have you been out in this infernal night? But never mind answering; I can wait. Doggott!"

"Yes, sir."

"Take Mr. Amber's coat and boots and bring him my dressing-gown and slippers."

"Yes, sir."

"And a hot toddy and something to eat--and be quick about it."

"Very good, sir."

Curiously enough, there is a noticeable resemblance between the ingredients of a hot toddy and those of cola soft drinks.

See also

• Irish coffee, which can be considered to be a form of hot toddy.

External links

• The Bronze Bell The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Bronze Bell