January certainly wasn’t very kind to me.
After the heady indulgences of a Scottish Xmas/Hogmanay accompanied by that country’s inherent cold/damp combo, I was laid low for the best part of a month with some damn bug that came packaged with its own potent arsenal of aches and pains.
Perhaps it’s just getting older, but this virus hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks and had some serious staying power to boot.
Over the first few weeks of the year I had a fair bit of time to play about with hot toddy recipes and, in a certain amount of desperation, added some Neocitran Ultra Strength to the mix. If you choose to include this optional ingredient please be aware of the risks of taking such medication and its interactions with alcohol.
I have included both a day and night recipe here, and they are slightly different in both measurements and components (utilising Manuka Honey’s tryptophan element to aid restful sleep, for example).
A word of caution for those readers going for the daytime recipe: I would in no way recommend that you leave the house after imbibing, as the recipe is much better suited to a day staying at home and shouty swearing at Donald Trump Youtube videos.
As for the evening recipe, I’d strongly suggest that this is consumed whilst under your covers in bed, as when it kicks in you are seriously out cold.
Daytime Recipe (only really if you can work from home)
2oz of Howitzer Canadian Whiskey
Juice of one lemon
3 teaspoons of standard honey
OPTIONAL – 1 sachet of Neocitran Ultra Strength Total Flu DAYTIME
Broad strip of orange zest studded with 3 cloves
1 Cinnamon stick
A light grating of nutmeg
2 English Breakfast teabags (leave in for duration of toddy)
4oz of water just off the boil
Method : Add ingredients in this order before adding hot water, then mix with cinnamon stick
Night-time Recipe
3oz of Howitzer Canadian Whiskey
Juice of one lemon
2 teaspoons of Manuka honey
OPTIONAL – 2 sachets of Neocitran Ultra Strength Total Flu NIGHT
Broad strip of lemon zest studded with 3 cloves
1 Cinnamon stick
A light grating of nutmeg
3oz of water just off the boil
Method : Add ingredients in this order before adding hot water, then mix with cinnamon stick
GET WELL SOON.
Edinburgh-born/Toronto-based Sommelier, consultant, writer, judge, and educator Jamie Drummond is the Director of Programs/Editor of Good Food Revolution… And he’s just glad that he’s feeling better. Must have been the hot toddies.
This is dangerous. You should never mix alcohol with neocitran, all of it’s ingredients have interactions with alcohol that can lead to liver, brain, or heart damage, and in extreme scenarios, death.