Whenever I have a cold or a sore throat, the best cure I’ve ever found is strong hot black tea with lots of honey and lots of lemon. When I’m not at work, I add a shot of whisky to make it a hot toddy. I’ve never found anything that comes close for relieving cold symptoms and making me feel better. Chicken soup and Nyquil might as well be homeopathy in comparison.
Well my throat has been sore all day, but since it’s almost Christmas Eve, I don’t have to work tomorrow, and I had a mostly empty bottle of cheap red wine that’s been sitting on the counter for the better part of a week, I decided to try substituting the wine for black tea. Lots of honey, lots of lemon as usual, a little water to dissolve it, plus a stick of cinnamon and a few black peppercorns for spice. Heated it in the microwave.
I have to say, it’s pretty yummy!
Not quite as effective as a hot toddy at remedying cold symptoms, and I wouldn’t use a wine that cost more per liter than soda pop, but as a warming drink, i’d say it beats hot chocolate with schnapps or irish coffee hands down. And it’s very festive!