A Honey & Mezcal Hot Toddy Recipe For National Honey Month - The Nibble Webzine Of Food Adventures A Honey & Mezcal Hot Toddy Recipe For National Honey Month
 
 
 
 
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A Honey & Mezcal Hot Toddy Recipe For National Honey Month

We didn’t want to let the clock run out on National Honey Month (September) without a special honey recipe. We found it in this honey and mezcal cocktail recipe, “Naughty Toddy,” from Dos Hombres Mezcal.

The brand was co-founded by actors Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston (the dos hombres) along with third-generation mezcalero Gregorio Velasco.

The mezcal is made in the heart of mezcal country, San Luis del Rio, Oaxaca, Mexico at the same traditional palenque (mezcal distillery) where Gregorio’s ancestors have been making mezcal for many decades.

The brand currently makes two expressions, both 100% agave:

  • Espadin Mezcal, made from the agave espadin plant (most mezcal is made from this variety of agave).
  • Tobala Mezcal, a limited edition joven mezcal. Its bold flavor notes are a result of the copal trees in the area where the agave is grown*.
  •  
    > The history of the toddy is below.

    > So are more toddy recipes.

    > Here are alcoholic drinks related to the Hot Toddy.

    > National Mezcal Day is October 21st.

    > January 11th is National Hot Toddy Day.
     
     
    RECIPE: NAUGHTY TODDY

    We’re not sure why this toddy is naughty, but you can make it hot or cold.

    What if you can’t get ahold of mezcal? You can substitute tequila, but you’ll miss out on the wonderful smoky notes of mezcal ( The difference between mezcal and tequila).
     
    Ingredients Per Drink

  • 1 ounce Dos Hombres mezcal
  • 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 ounce honey
  • 1 ounce whiskey
  • 2 ounces 100% natural apple juice or cider†
  • Garnish: lemon wheel
  •  
    Preparation

    Hot Toddy: Combine all ingredients into a small pot and heat on the stovetop. Use caution when pouring into a coffee cup as the cocktail will be hot. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

    Cold Toddy: Add all ingredients to a mixing glass. Shake and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel.
     
     
    THE HISTORY OF THE TODDY

    Around 1600 in India, the Hindi word tārī (pronounced taddy) referred to an alcoholic beverage made from fermented palm sap. The modern hot toddy began in 1608, when the British landed in India for the purpose of trade, and discovered the drink. By 1610, the spelling “taddy” had appeared [source].

    By 1786, the term evolved such that a written recipe for taddy defined it as a “beverage made of alcoholic liquor with hot water, sugar, and spices” [source].

    In the cold and damp winters of the British Isles, a hot drink was welcome. The taddy was heated and the terms Hot Toady and Hot Toddy evolved.

    Hot alcoholic drinks had existed in England for centuries, if not millennia. During the reign of King Richard III (1483 to 1485), for example, people drank:

  • Mulled wine and beer, heated with spices.
  • Posset, a popular drink from the medieval period through to the 19th century. It consisted of milk curdled with wine or ale and was often spiced [source].
  •  
    By the 18th century, trade routes with India made exotic spices readily available. When the recipe for taddy appeared, it made good use of Scotch (in England and Scotland) and Irish whiskey in Ireland.

    Hot Toddy In The Colonies

    In the Colonies, rum from the Caribbean and locally-made brandy‡ were the spirits used in toddies (rum was a lot more convenient to import than Scotch). A rum toddy made with butter was known as hot buttered rum.

    Butter made the drink richer. Just about every family had its own recipe for hot buttered rum. A batter was made from butter, sugar, and spices, and was stirred into a mix of rum and hot water [source].

    Two Spoilers

    Beyond the history of the taddy from India, there are two more “origin stories” for the hot toddy. Thanks to Adagio Teas for the information.

  • Origin story #2 says that the toddy was created by an Irish doctor, Robert Bentley Todd (1809-1860), who prescribed it to his patients as a cold remedy. His recipe blended brandy, canella (cinnamon), sugar syrup, and hot water. He is better known for first describing the condition now known as Toddy’s palsy.
  • Origin story #3 claims that the Scots developed the hot toddy to make raw Scotch whisky (the unaged product) more palatable. They added sugar, dates, saffron, mace, nuts, and cinnamon (imagine what the raw stuff tasted like to need all that!). As the whisky makers became more skilled, there was less need for spices and sweeteners. Yet the concept endured as a hot alcoholic drink.
  •  
    A Cure For The Common Cold?

    By the mid-19th century, the hot toddy was prescribed as medicine for the common cold and other conditions. It was touted as a cure-all for everyone—even for sniffling children [source]!

    So does a hot toddy really help with colds?

    Yes! Medical professionals agree that a hot toddy can be good for colds and mild respiratory congestion. Both the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University in the U.K. and the Mayo Clinic in the U.S. have cited that:

  • The spices stimulate saliva to help ease a sore throat.
  • The combination of lemon and honey stimulates mucus drainage.
  • Warm liquids ease congestion and prevent dehydration.
  •  
    Neither institution recommends a large dose of whiskey, but both agree that a small amount can ease the stress that comes with being ill from a cold [op.cit. Teamuse].

    (Stress: is that the same as misery?)
     
     
    MORE HOT TODDY RECIPES

  • Apple Ginger Hot Toddy
  • Apple Hot Toddy With Calvados Or Brandy
  • Beer Hot Toddy Recipe
  • Black Tea Toddy
  • Caramel Hot Buttered Rum
  • Hot Apple Toddy With Sherry & Calvados
  • Chocolate Hot Buttered Rum
  • Classic Rum Toddy (Hot Buttered Rum)
  • Glögg
  • Green Tea Toddy
  • Hot Apple Cider Toddy
  • Hot Gin Cider
  • Saké Hot Toddy
  • Scotch Toddy
  • Spiced Cider
  • Witch’s Brew For Halloween
  •  
     
    ________________

    *The copal’s resinous oils perfume the soil and find their way into the agave plants. The name “copal” derives from the Aztec (Nahuatl) word copalli, meaning “incense.” The Aztecs and other groups created incense from the oils and burned it for ceremonies. It’s still used ceremonially by a number of indigenous peoples of Mexico and Central America.

    †While in the U.S. and parts of Canada, the term “apple cider” is interchangeable with “apple juice,” in Europe a glass of cider is an alcoholic drink.

    ‡Brandy is a distilled spirit produced from fermented fruit. For a home hack, the alcohol in wine can be distilled into brandy by heating the wine to just over 173°F.

     

    Dos Hombres Mezcal Hot Toddy Recipe
    [1] A mezcal cocktail with honey and whiskey (photos #1 and #2 © Dos Hombres Mezcal).

    Dos Hombres Mezcal Bottle
    [2] Start with Dos Hombres mezcal.

    Lemons & Ceramic Juicer
    [3] Add some fresh lemon juice (photo © Deva Williamson | Unsplash).

    Honey Dipper - Drizzler
    [4] Sweeten with a bit of honey (photo © Heather Barnes | Unsplash).

    Maker's Mark Bourbon Bottle
    [5] Your whiskey of choice (photo © Maker’s Mark | Facebook.

    Red Jacket Fuji Apple Cider Half Gallon
    [6] Apple juice or cider (photo © Red Jacket Orchards | Facebook).

    Hot Toddy With Mount Gay Rum
    [7] Classic hot toddy with rum (photo © Mount Gay Rum).

    Sake Toddy - Sake Hot Toddy Recipe
    [8] A saké hot toddy. Here’s the recipe (photo © SakéOne).

     

     
     

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