When it comes to old school home remedies for colds, you can’t get much more old school than whiskey wellness cocktails.

As far as hard liquors go, whiskey is my drink of choice. It’s warming, it’s smooth, and it makes me feel like I should be swirling it thoughtfully by my phonograph horn or enjoying it in a smoky, steampunk-esque back door speakeasy.

So while I am admittedly partial to whiskey, I must say, this particular cocktail recipe is frikkin’ TASTY – sick or not.

Whiskey has a rich history of medicinal uses throughout the ages, and while it does boast some surprising health benefits – lowering your risk of dementia, stroke, heart disease among them – to be quite honest, it, uh, doesn’t really fight or prevent colds or coughs.

Whiskey works very much in the same exact way that over the counter cough syrup does: It doesn’t do squat to actually treat your cold. BUT! It lessens your symptoms, making you feel deceptively better.

The main difference? Whiskey tastes great, and it doesn’t have all the nasty toxic ingredients that store bought cough syrups have!

This “Cough Syrup Cocktail” – somewhere between a hot toddy and a whiskey sour – harnesses the power of fresh citrus and raw honey to effectively sooth sore throats, quiet coughs, clear stuffy noses and encourage sleep. It’s the perfect drink to curl up with when you are feeling achy and congested!

How To Make It

1 shot of whiskey

1 shot of water

Juice of half a large lemon

2 tablespoons of raw buckwheat honey

Lemon twist

Dash of cayenne (optional)

In a small rocks glass, combine the honey and water and stir until dissolved. Add whiskey shot, lemon juice and dash of cayenne (if desired) and top with lemon twist. Serve warm.

It’s important to note that while the whole purpose of this cocktail (like over the counter cough syrups) is merely to act a feel-better placebo, it’s still a relatively healthy concoction.

Raw honey is known to be one of the best substances you can consume to bolster your immune system while sick. It has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties and speeds up recovery. While any raw honey will work for this cocktail, I chose to use buckwheat because it gave it a nice, rich color. Lighter raw honeys make this drink look a little too much like dehydrated urine, IMO. Anyway, you can read all about the medicinal benefits of honey vs. cough syrup by clicking here.

Likewise, lemons are healthy hitters too. Loaded with vitamin C, which is known to support the body’s natural defenses, lemon juice is reported to decrease the strength of the cold and flu virus in the body and reduce phlegm.

If You Are Taking This Drink With A Cold or Cough…

Drink this cocktail only when you are extremely miserable and / or before going to bed. The idea is to enhance restful sleep so your body can recover quicker.

Drink water before and after your cocktail. Alcohol is dehydrating by nature, and hydration is key to kicking a cold.

Only drink one. Tempting as it will be to drink more (they are that tasty!), limit yourself to just one. It’s medicine time, not happy hour.

Do you have any alcohol based wellness cocktails you like to use? Interested in trying one? Share below!

Also, be sure to stop by my Raw Honey Giveaway blog post, sponsored by Mohawk Valley. You can enter one a day to win! Click below!