Cold Remedies

Well, we have survived January, which always feels like the longest month of the year. So far, our family has not suffered much illness, but cold and flu season is still in full swing.

If you or someone in your family is suffering, over-the-counter medications help your symptoms, but sometimes you need a nice hot drink to help you feel better.

Growing up, my Mom would always make us Russian Tea when we were sick. Made with Tang, the drink of astronauts, it is packed with Vitamin C. The blend of Tang, tea and spices soothes a sore throat and keeps you hydrated. It also mixes well in any water temperature, so moms with smaller kids can mix it with warm tap water rather than pipin’ hot boiling water.

I have done a little research and Russian Tea has absolutely no links to Russia. How this kitschy American instant tea came to be known as such is a mystery. But nonetheless, it is satisfying and soothing when you are under the weather.

Because it is made of dry ingredients, you can mix up a batch and keep it on hand for quite some time, as long as it is stored in an airtight container.

If you are looking for something a little stronger, a Hot Toddy may do the trick. Blending tea with a shot of whiskey or bourbon is actually scientifically proven to help ease cold symptoms.

It turns out that whiskey is a natural decongestant. This may explain why some of your grannies kept some whiskey on hand for “medicinal” purposes. The alcohol dilates your blood vessels, which helps your mucus membranes deal with any infection you may be fighting. Add some therapeutic honey and lemon and you will be able to breathe a bit better and maybe drift off to sleep more easily – at least as well as if you were to take night time cold meds. Also, a Hot Toddy will not give you that dreaded cold-medicine fog the next morning.

I have had a few Hot Toddies that end up tasting more medicinal than delicious. I have tweaked my recipe to my personal taste, more sweet and less like antiseptic. One of the secrets is good hooch.

There are many different versions of Hot Toddies out there, some use whiskey, some use bourbon. What’s the difference? Simply put, whiskey is distilled from grain mash and aged in wooden barrels and produced all over the world. Bourbon is produced in America, made from 51% corn and stored in new charred-oak barrels. There is a whole lotta science that goes into alcohol production.

But what it boils down to is a personal preference in taste. You are only using 1 oz. of alcohol, but it can dramatically impact the outcome of your Toddy. I have used Firefly Distillery Sweet Tea Bourbon and that makes a great drink, but I am not sure that is easy to find outside of North and South Carolina. The recipe I am sharing with you today uses Evan Williams Honey Bourbon, which is delightfully smooth.

I also like to use a Cinnamon Spice tea, rather than straight up black tea. It adds more depth and blends nicely with the bourbon, honey and lemon.

You can garnish it with a nice slice of lemon and a cinnamon stick, or if you are truly feeling yucky, you can skip that step and just get to sippin’.

I hope you have been fortunate enough to remain healthy this season, but if not, I hope these drinks help you feel a little better.