Why not a recipe for 31 Days?  This one is perfect with winter on the way!  In words and pictures, a drink that'll warm you from the inside out.

Until today, I never knew a hot toddy was anything other than any ol' generic hot drink on a cold day.  And I also didn't know Germans were well acquainted with the Southern gent, Jack Daniels.

Sometimes it's good to be ignorant.

Here, in my Mayberryesque Bavarian hometown, I ride my bike to get places; most are within 10 minutes or so, but Margarete lives a little further out.  Invited over for an afternoon cake date, and because the weather has taken a fast turn towards winter, I wanted to drive.  But my son had other ideas; joining us for a bite of dessert, he and Margarete's son were meeting a group for soccer after.  He wanted to ride bikes, and because this was actually a going-away party for him, it was pointless for me to argue.  Once again, I was shamed into two wheels from the child I carried for nine months on two legs.  

I shoulda reminded him of that.

When the sun sets, the temperatures drop quickly.  It was about this time Margarete's husband arrived home from work, and he knew I'd be leaving shortly.  "It's freezing out there!" he declared, and he asked if I'd like a hot toddy to warm me up before heading home.  

Not wanting to create work for him when he had just left work, and because I wasn't yet cold, I graciously declined the offer. But he was insistent and persuasive and I can only say no so many times before it borders on rude.  Right?

Well.

I had as much fun watching him at work as I did sipping this curiously affecting libation, a mixture of sweet and spice and citrus and fire, and though my pictures aren't the best, I'd like to jot down the recipe before I forget.  Why keep a good thing to myself when it's so easy to share?

Killer Hot Toddy

1.  Slice lemons 1/4" thin and pierce through with five cloves.

2.  Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar in the bottom of your favorite mug and drop the cloved lemon on top.

3.  Pour a shot of Jack Daniels over the lemon and sugar.  This is where my friend says, "Experiement!  Try different whiskeys!  Use more alcohol. Use less alcohol.  Play with it to see what you like best."  I'm thinkin' it's all good.

4.  Slowly pour boiling water over the mixture.  Add a splash of cold to cool it down for immediate consumption.  That last tip is important if you're eager to try it NOW.

That's it–simple and quick. The hot water quickly melds all those flavors together into a memorable, spicy, sweet concoction.  And it warms you from the back of your throat to the tips of your toes.

Let's just say during my bike ride home I barely noticed the sub-Arctic tundra my wicked son forced me to endure.

Hot toddy for the win!