For those of us residing in the Northern Hemisphere, winter weather is already here but the coldest temperatures are still to come. On one of those frigid February days that have you swearing you’re finally going to move to Southern California, there’s one cocktail perfectly built to warm you up: the Hot Toddy.
Beyond its warming properties, this combination of hot water or tea, lemon, honey or sugar, and whiskey has a long history of use as a cure for the all-too-common winter cold. Although it sounds like something an old-timey doctor in a top hat might prescribe, there is a little science behind the Hot Toddy’s curative properties. It makes sense — all the cocktail’s ingredients, even whiskey at one point, have been used as home remedies to treat the unpleasant symptoms of a cold.
Unlike certain cocktails with strict recipes, there are many ways to approach making a Hot Toddy. Different choices, like opting for tea instead of hot water, or the inclusion of a garnish, can have a major effect on the finished drink. One important variable out of many moving parts is the choice of whiskey. Unsurprisingly, different bartenders tend to prefer different styles of whiskey in their Hot Toddies. Sweet or spicy, mellow or hot, here are 11 bartender-recommended whiskeys for your next Hot Toddy.
The Best Whiskeys for Hot Toddies According to Bartenders Old Grand Dad 114 Wild Turkey 101 Slane Irish Whiskey Basil Hayden Buffalo Trace Kikori Whisky Woodford Reserve Old Overholt
