Weekend Warmer: Saturday is National Hot Toddy Day

Tomorrow is National Hot Toddy Day and, since most of the country has been experiencing extremely cold temps lately (#polarvortex), it couldn’t come at a better time. The hot toddy is said to have originated in Scotland, a country that knows a thing or two about cold, damp weather. For those of you not familiar with the drink, it is typically made with honey, lemon, hot water and whiskey (you can also use rum or brandy if you prefer). Personally, I always thought that a hot toddy was made with tea and apparently that is one of the incarnations, but when in doubt I refer to the experts. In this case, that expert would be William Faulkner. The famous author, who is almost as well known for his drinking as for his writing, is said to have loved a good hot toddy. Faulkner’s niece, Dean Faulkner Wells, even included her uncle’s recipe in The Great American Writer’s Cookbook. The hot toddy is also an age old remedy for relieving cold or flu symptoms. You don’t need to be sick to drink one though; they’re also perfect for warming up on a cold day. So tomorrow when you come in from the cold perhaps you could break out your favorite mug and curl up with your favorite Faulkner work to celebrate National Hot Toddy day.