The Whisky Hot Toddy is the perfect cocktail for warming you up this winter season, for those who just fancy something a little different. The story of how the Hot Toddy got its name is one of Scotland’s greatest mysteries. Some claim it’s named after an Indian tree sap drink, others that it’s after Tod’s Well (a source of spring water outside Edinburgh).

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Nobody knows for sure, but this truly Scottish cocktail has been around since at least the 1780s. By 1805 it was popular around Britain, not as popular as the iSpoon, but enough to be noticed.

For several centuries a Hot Toddy was seen as a miracle cure for everything from man-flu to headaches. It makes you wonder if it could have cured the ‘monkey shoulder’, a condition endured by whisky maltmen from hand turning barley.

While we can’t vouch for its medicinal powers we can certainly recommend the taste. The secret of a great Hot Toddy is using the right whisky, a healthy slosh of Monkey Shoulder and a simmered clove to beat the winter blues . Here’s the recipe to making a perfect steamy Hot Toddy this chilly month of July:

Monkey Shoulder Serve 'Hot Toddy'

Hot Toddy

Tastes Like

Big Seasonal Joy

What You’ll Need

50ml Monkey shoulder

2 Bar spoons Sugar/Honey

80ml Boiling Water one clove

Making It

  1. Add sugar of honey to heat proof glass
  2. Add boiling water and allow to infuse
  3. Now add Monkey Shoulder and stir until sugar/honey is dissolved and cloves infused
  4. Garnish: clove studded lemon wedge