Frank’s Honey Hot Toddy
Relief from the Common Cold
Before we had neighborhood pharmacies and different cold medications, people relied on home treatments. They had to come up with their own solutions. Many home remedies are now topics of urban legend, but some home remedies actually work. Frank’s Honey Hot Toddy (also known as a hot toddy, or hotty totty) will actually help relieve those cold symptoms. If cold prevention hasn’t been able to fight your cold off, you may want to make a hotty toddy. It is shown by science to help reduce cold symptoms. Whiskey is an effective decongestant. The alcohol dilates the blood vessels.
The steam from the hot beverages works with the decongestant benefits of the alcohol and makes it easier for the mucus membranes to deal with the nasal congestion. Whiskey can also relieve aching muscles and soothe a sore throat. The combination of honey and lemon soothe a sore, scratchy throat and can ease a cough. Honey and lemon are both natural antiseptics and can help the throat heal faster. The honey will coat the throat and make it feel a lot better. Both ingredients contain antioxidants, and the lemon ads a bit of vitamin C. Cinnamon and honey are often taken together to help with coughs.
The whiskey also works like nighttime cold medicine that helps you sleep. Just remember, the recommendation is hot honey toddy before bed. Any more than that and you could wake up feeling worse than when you fell asleep. The recipe for Frank’s Hot Honey Toddy is pretty straightforward.
- Pour the whiskey, water and honey into a mug. Add the lemon. Then stir with a cinnamon stick if you prefer to add a tinge or zest to the mix. Let the ingredients steep for about 5 minutes. Your drink will be much more flavorful.
By the time you finish your hot drink of whiskey, honey, and lemon, you should be feeling a bit better. You should be relieved of some of the congestion so you can breath easier. The alcohol in the whiskey should make you just groggy enough to fall asleep. With a good night’s sleep, you should wake up feeling much better in the morning.
