Hot toddy

[darkemeralds]

*sips*

Ahhhh!

Once again, because I have lots of lovely new friends here on Dreamwidth who might not have seen it, I shall share my recipe for a hot toddy. It soothes the savage breast, warms the cockles of your heart, chases the blues away, and several other clichés having to do with comfort.

DarkEmeralds' Hot Toddy Recipe

Put the kettle on.

Into a mug, place:

• A generous tablespoon honey*
• Half a shot of peaty single malt Scotch whisky--or a whole shot, if you're so inclined**
• A piece of fresh ginger about the size of the first joint of your finger, well crushed with the side of a knife***
• The juice of half a lemon

Fill the mug with boiling water.
Stir, let steep a couple of minutes, and sip.

Ahhh!

*Lavender honey is sublime in this if you can get it.
**I am partial to Laphroaig. Very partial.
***A shake or two of ground dried ginger will work every bit as well

Comments

[kis]

Ooh, u iz so flash. (Mr Kis keeps a cheap bottle for toddies.)

[darkemeralds]

I probably should do the same, but it takes me a year to get through a bottle of scotch in any case, so it seems a shame to have a second, cheaper bottle around. I'd opt for the good stuff every time anyway.

[tehomet]

God, I would love to try this with Laphroaig and lavender honey.

My grandmother's recipe for a hot toddy did not include ginger. In fact, I only used ginger myself for the first time yesterday, when making carrot soup. Her toddy recipe used at least twice as much Irish whiskey, usually Jameson, Bushmills, or Powers; half as much lemon; and a clove or two. We'd be dosed with a toddy when we had a cold coming on, even back when we were small kids! It even got used to dose sickly lambs and calves on occasion. Good stuff.

[darkemeralds]

Oh, cloves would be a nice substitute. And yes, I swear this stuff is absolutely effective on a cold, if you get in just at the scratchy-throated inception moment.

Ginger is lovely stuff. I've become quite partial to it. And it's supposed to be excellent on the tummy.

[bientot]

I thought Hot Toddy was that cute waiter at...oh, nevermind....this sounds yummy too!

[darkemeralds]

LOL! Yes, one of my good friends is called Todd--he's a very tall, very big fellow, and he gets this eyebrow waggling thing going on at the mention of hot toddies.

[branchandroot]

Mm, that sounds good.

[darkemeralds]

It really is a very fine way to drink whiskey.

[legionseagle]

Interesting take with the ginger - I shall definitely remember this.

If you like Laphroig, have you tried Lagavulin?

[darkemeralds]

Yes! I am, apparently, an Islay kind of gal. I settled on Laphroaig as my once-a-year bottle more from sentimental reasons than from a clear preference over other Islays (because we drank Laphroaig to settle our nerves after seeing the special preview screening of Serenity way back when, and I associate it with my favorite fandom). I love the peaty, smoky hit of Islay single malts.

And the ginger--don't ask me where I got that idea, because it was probably a misremembered recipe from somewhere in the lumber room of my brain--but the combination with peaty single malt, honey and lemon is absolutely sublime.

[darkemeralds]

(Also, the sentimental association was clinched when I flew to London for a Serenity fan convention, and drank Laphroaig at the absolutely toniest scotch whisky bar near Trafalgar Square with my good friend kis and another English Firefly fan.)

ETA: This place! God, I love the internet.

[legionseagle]

I expect that would be the one near Admiralty Arch. My best Islay malt moment (and I've had a fair few, including some on Islay) was when we were in a bar in St Servan (the practical, not just for the tourists, suburb of St Malo) sitting in the world's most mellow bar; green silk ceiling cloth, a big glass window, a storm tossing the boats in the harbour (including ours), a wood fire and Lagavulin in our glasses.

[darkemeralds]

Yes! That moment! That's the kind of moment that seals a woman's whisky preference for life.

It sounds lovely. Never been to St Malo or anywhere in that part of France, but oh, that just sounds so like my kind of day. I do love a stormy coast and a snug fire.

[darkemeralds]

Hah! I had to look that up.

And ew. What's WRONG with me for liking that?

[legionseagle]

Nothing???

[darkemeralds]

Hee! Thank you very much. :D

[legionseagle]

Yes, that would be the one. I love a bar which describes one of its drinks as "Intense TCP".