With the cold and flu season in full swing, there are few drinks more comforting than a hot toddy.

There are more hot toddy recipes and hot toddy stories floating around that you can shake a cinnamon stick at! It was probably based on a drink from India (and an alcohol made from palm tree sap), and then made its way to England or Scotland where it was altered to use more popular alcohols. While some health professionals will suggest that any alcohol is bad when you’re sick, a quick scouring of the ingredients in many cough medicines will tell you that alcohol is a fairly common curative. Its main pluses are that it is relaxing, and combined with steam can help to clear the sinuses or soothe the throat; its main detriment is that it dehydrates.

Hot toddy recipes generally share a few attributes:

1. 3/4 mug of hot non-alcoholic liquid (water or tea is most common, but coffee, apple cider, and lemonade are also popular)
2. 1-2 shots of alcohol (whiskey, rum, and brandy are the most common)
3. A spoonful of sweetener (honey to soothe, sugar to sweeten, but brown sugar is my favorite!)
4. A splash of citrus (usually lemon, but lime and orange are often mentioned)

In addition to these, some recipes call for cinnamon, cloves, or other spices, much like what you would use to mull wine. It is perfectly acceptable to experiment with hot toddies to get the mix you desire: find a great mix and share it with your friends! Here are a few ideas to get you started (2 typical ones you can find elsewhere, 2 unusual ones special from us!):

Brandy Toddy
3/4 mug hot tea
1 ½ oz brandy
2 tsp honey
Splash of lemon juice

Whiskey Toddy
3/4 mug hot water
1 ½ oz whiskey
2 tsp honey
Splash of lemon juice

Apple/Rum Toddy
3/4 mug hot apple cider (or hot fruit tea)
1 ½ oz spiced rum
1 tsp honey
Splash of orange juice
Dash of cinnamon

Russian/Tennessee Toddy
1/3 mug hot Tang
1/3 mug hot tea
1 ½ oz sour mash whiskey
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Splash of lemon juice
Dash of cinnamon

Have your own special hot toddy mix? Share it with us in the comments!