History of the Hot Toddy & How to Make One

The hot toddy is a favorite for those frigid winter days. There are many different variations of this drink meaning that you can make it to fit your specific flavor profile (see below for some of our suggestions). It may seem as though the hot toddy is a relatively new cocktail, but that could not be any further from the truth.

Let's take a closer look at the history of this drink. To begin with, the first instances of the cocktail can be traced back to India. The country was under the control of the British at the time. The Hindi word of "taddy" actually means a "drink made of fermented palm sap". By the end of the 1700's the word had officially become recognized as an " Beverage consisting of alcohol combined with water, hot sugar, and an abundance of spices". Though this was hundreds of years ago, it's nice to see that humans have always had a desire for a tasty drink after a long day.

As history has shown time and time again, the British enjoy brining best of the societies they occupy home. A cocktail as enjoyable as the hot toddy is certainly no exception. In the freezing season of winter and everyday dreary weather it would not at all be out of the ordinary for pubs to pour a bit of steaming water into a glass of whisky. The U.K.'s routes for trading with India simply made spices more easy to attain and the pubs quickly caught on the fact that the whisky, hot water, and a combination of spices would create a pleasant flavor that many were sure to be a fan of. We can't say that they are wrong!

However, the origin of the drink has been argued for years now. Some believe that a doctor by the name of Robert Bentley Todd was responsible for the creation of the hot toddy. This is due to the fact that he reportedly requested that his patients consume a mixture of warmed brandy, cinnamon, and sugar water in efforts to cure ailments that may have been plaguing them. The most likely answer as to how the drink came to be is a combination of both theories as it is likely that the doctors caught wind of the fact that Indians had created hot toddies and found a way to incorporate them into their treatment plans. Regardless of who created it, we are beyond thankful for their discovery!

Liquor Lab's JAJA Toddy

1.5oz JAJA Añejo Tequila

0.5oz Ginger Honey

0.5oz Orange Juice

5oz Hot Water

Rusty Apple Toddy

1oz Drambuie

3oz Hot Apple Juice

0.25oz Lemon Juice

Hot Toddy

1.5oz Whiskey

0.5oz Honey

0.5oz Lemon Juice

8oz Hot Water

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