Everything before and what happens after without any planning: Hot toddy to get better

Warm and toasty and just in time for the after winter sicknesses, the Hot Toddy is a classic hot drink. Feel free to experiment with your favorite types of tea or skip it all together and use hot water alone. Most black and green teas mix well with the sweetness of the honey and lemon, but from there it's a personal preference and some interesting toddies are possible.

You want to use good whiskey for this, not the finest malt, but a good Scotch blend like Famous Grouse or Bells, or an Irish whiskey such as Jameson if you prefer the smoother taste. Or even some people prefer Rum. I love either in a Hot Toddy.

In a sturdy tall glass dissolve the sugar in a few drops of boiling water, splash in a good shot of aged rum such as Appleton Estate, English Harbour or Cockspur 12-Year-Old, add the butter and spice, and fill up with freshly boiled water. I’d stir this with a cinnamon stick, for extra spice, and because it seems like fun. I might use sugar syrup instead of fiddling about dissolving the sugar; then again honey would be a wholesome substitute. The butter may sound a little odd, but it turns out hot buttered rum is indeed an olde worlde tradition, and, anyway, it tastes better than it sounds and adds richness.