Hot Toddies are a unique drink because it is a combination of strong spirits served warm. It has taken a small but significant part in history since the British colonial times, and today it can be made with a variety of different sugars and spices to make it tasty.
If you want to learn more about what hot toddies are all about, then read more to learn about Hot Toddy Day and see how you can celebrate it.
History of Hot Toddy Day
The word “toddy” stretches back to the British colonial era and is taken from the Hindi word tārī, a drink made from the fermented sap of toddy palm. ‘The mixture, which traditionally consists of a spirit, sugar, water, and spices and was normally served cold. The hot toddies that this holiday recognizes finds its routes in Scotland.
It was made hot to help cure a cold, but believing in preventative measures, the drink’s popularity spread. It is also said that the credit for the Robert Bentley Todd for his prescription of a hot drink of brandy, Canella (white cinnamon), sugar syrup, and water. How it spread to America is said to be when American colonists during the Revolutionary War would drink toddies as a form of liquid courage.
How to celebrate Hot Toddy Day
If you’re wanting to try out a tasty hot toddy, then follow this recipe. Add 2 ounces of applejack whiskey and 1 teaspoon of maple syrup to a heat-safe glass. Add a dash of bitters to the mix. Heat 2 ounces of water to a near-boil and pour into the same glass; stir until maple syrup is dissolved. Insert a few cloves into a lemon wedge, squeeze it in and leave in the glass.
Garnish with a long cinnamon stick and a thin slice of apple. If you like the warmth and bittersweetness of the drink, then share this holiday on your favorite social media websites by using the hashtag #hottoddyday and let your friends know how much you like this drink.