Just What the Doctor Ordered: Cranberry Hot Toddy

About author / Christine Gable

Culinary enthusiast; kids cuisine and slow cooking; magazine recipe developer; professional writer. Her simple recipes are great for family dinners.

What’s the best way to ward off winter’s chill? Well, old Europe certainly had the right idea when they mulled wines and ciders with spices and created drinks we still know today as hot toddies.

What exactly is a hot toddy? While you might have known a college sports fanatic that was affectionately known to his buddies as this, you’ve got to go deeper to get to origins of the drink that we still know as a toddy.

A hot toddy was a cocktail made with whiskey or sherry, hot water, sugar and spices. History also says that hot toddies originated in the 18th century, and apparently some believe that it was a way to make Scotch more appealing to women (although it probably did much the same for the menfolk). While many in Europe may have regularly imbibed in this spiced delight in hopes of fending off (and curing) the cold and flu, modern medicine has since dispelled the viability of treating these ailments with hot toddies (although it sure must’ve made getting through ‘em a bit less painful).

Especially when the weather was cold and wet. With icy fingers of frost and snow. Seeping through overcoats and gloves. Nipping at fingers and toes. And spring? Just a distant memory, one that’s toooo far away. Since Puritan times when alcohol was not acceptable to use in conjunction with religious holidays, hot toddies and hot buttered rum became associated more with secular celebrations such as Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

So this year, in honor of the big ol' 2010 that’s almost upon us, here’s a way to stay warm and start the New Year off on a good note. The crockpot makes it possible to do this in an easy way. Just think: pour a couple ingredients in the slow cooker earlier in the day and you’ll have a restorative drink handy and ready-for-the-dishing when guests stop by, either for a drop-in or a festive afternoon or evening party.

Funny thing to note is that I usually put the tea pot on to heat (or brew a pot of coffee) when we feel the need to refresh with a hot drink, but when you use a crockpot, it makes it so much easier! It’s effortlessly possible to have enough ready for the dipping for whenever guests want to help themselves.

This week I thought we could all use some EASY inspiration … if you’ve been feeling the pinch from the holiday circuit and perhaps feeling a bit overdone and undone, a hot toddy will loosen you (and your guests) up to welcome the New Year with a bit of cheer. With or without the alcohol, this is delicious both ways. Hot toddies of the cranberry variety just might have the masses using this age-old restorative just to get through the remaining winter months.

Since cranberry is so tangy and tends to be tart, you’ll see this recipe has a bit of sugar—feel free to adjust to your own preferred taste. This recipe will fill a 5-quart crockpot about half full. Double it for a party or a crowd of more than 6 to 8 people (Plus it looks more festive to have a full crock to serve/dip from).

Serves/Makes: 10

• 2 sticks (3-inch size) cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• cheesecloth
• 1 bottle (64 ounce size) cranberry juice cocktail
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• fresh cranberries
• fresh lemon slices (1/8-inch thick)
• 1/3 cup bourbon or rum, optional