When you’re feeling like garbage, the last thing you can fathom is alcohol. It’s all about hot soup, herbal tea and a truckload of Florida citrus.
But Granny’s cure-all – whether it be a little glass of dark rum, a brimming spoonful of whisky or a shot of über-herbal amaro – has some merit. It’s been proven that alcohol, consumed in moderation, can work as a preventative against a brigade of cold-weather maladies.
There’s little (to nothing) to suggest that liquor can cure a cold that’s already through the gates, but consider this: a little alcohol is intrinsically relaxing and can help you get the sleep you desperately need when under the weather.
Skeptics should remember that alcohol was used for medicinal purposes long before it was used for shits and giggles.
So, when you feel a little bone-chill creeping up on you, look to these simple, tasty hot bevvies – for prevention or tonic.
Boil slices of fresh ginger, then add lemon juice, honey and a heavy-handed ounce of a full-flavour blended Scotch like Black Bottle (750mL/$32.95, LCBO 409425). Inhale the healthful fumes to soothe angry sinuses.
Mull pressed pear or apple juice with green cardamom and a split -vanilla pod, then gussy it up with fresh lemon, a dab of honey and a full-bodied rum like El Dorado 12 Year Old (750mL/$38.65, LCBO 60608).
Mixing chamomile tea, agave syrup, lemon and a shot of reposado tequila like Leyenda del Milagro (750mL/$44.95, LCBO 603191) will send you off to la-la land with a smile on your face.
Brew up some conveniently uncaffeinated rooibos tea, sweeten it with maple syrup and toss in a slice of fresh orange before adding a spicy rye whisky like Lot 40 (750mL/$39.95, LCBO 382861).
drinks@nowtoronto.com | @S_Parns
