This has obviously been a brutal cold and flu season (I'm still hacking away) and I got to wondering about some of the old time remedies out there. Happily, there are a number of them out there that contain alcohol. I know I always feel better when there's a bit of booze involved.
First, there is the ever popular Hot Toddy. This is made by mixing very hot water, 1/2 shot of whiskey, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon honey. This ought to knock anything out, and actually, the whiskey can be anti-inflammatory for the mucous membranes, reduce fever, and relieve muscle aches.
Hot mulled drinks are also good choices - simply warm wine, hard cider, ale or Port, and steep with mulling spices (cinnamon, cloves, orange peel, etc., etc.)
If you want to try something weird, one thing I read about is warm beer, raw egg and sugar. I'm pretty sure I'd rather be sick.
In Europe, a good glass of warm elderberry wine with lemon is often prescribed. In Spain, a study showed that drinking 8 to 14 glasses of wine per week, especially red wine, reduced the chance of catching a cold by as much as 60% – see Red Wine as a Flu Vaccine at the Ladies With Bottle blog. So, drink up, and hopefully you won't have to use any of these remedies.
And for the ultimate in alcoholic cold remedies, check out these cold relief cocktails at Yahoo Voices. Cheers!
Happy Trills,
Laura
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