by Rich Smith
Thanks to our puritanical roots, Americans see hot toddies as a kind of medicine rather than a decadent cocktail. You order one if you’re sick, or if you fear you’re coming down with something, or if the cold weather demands it. Though the lemon and honey do offer some mild relief of cold symptoms, according to a report in the Smithsonian magazine, the toddy was created for the same reason most cocktails were created: to disguise the foul flavor of rotgut. We would probably be better off if we’d just allow ourselves the pleasure for once, but if convincing ourselves that toddies are medicine means we can drink even when we’re sick, then I’m all for it.
At home, I’m a purist: hot water, whiskey, a slice of fresh lemon. (I’ll throw honey in only when I’m fighting off a sore throat.) But when I go out for a toddy, I like a bit of a performance.