How to make the perfect hot toddy
Phil shares his regard for an old friend - the hot toddy and suggests a flexible hot toddy recipe which can be altered to taste

Recently suffering severe a man cold I was searching for a way to feel not so wretched. Honey, hot water and lemon juice were palatable but I felt there was something missing. In a moment of clarity I remembered the benefits of a hot toddy (I didn't know anyone called Toddy so made do with the following ingredients)
The basic ingredients are:
One and a half fluid ounces of whisky, gin or rum Juice of half a lemon A teaspoon of honey Boiling water.
You can substitute the hot water for a favourite comforting tea and the lemon for orange according to taste.
A clove and, or, a small cinnamon stick can add more flavour but depends on individual taste (remove them before drinking).
You can modify this basic recipe to suit your taste and degree of comfort required.
The beauty of the Toddy is that he is a very adaptable chap and can be used to bring comfort and well-being not just to cold sufferers but also those who seek a soporific solution for cold winter nights.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Taste tested: Port, lemon and honey (in measures as above) topped up with an orange, mango and cinnamon fruit tea
Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
-
Can't you hear me S.O.S? Our treasured native dog breeds are at risk of extinction
Do you know your Kerry blue terrier from your Lancashire heeler? A simple lack of publicity is often to blame for some of the UK's native dog breeds flying dangerously low under-the-radar.
By Victoria Marston Published
-
'There are architects and architects, but only one ARCHITECT': Sir Edwin Lutyens and the wartime Chancellor who helped launch his stellar career
Clive Aslet explores the relationship between Sir Edwin Lutyens and perhaps his most important private client, the politician and financier Reginald McKenna.
By Clive Aslet Published