"Hot toddies, as the name implies, are served hot. Heat does wonders for someone when sick. A hot beverage can soothe the throat and can provide someone who has shaking (with) chills the feeling and comfort of a warm hug," Ascher said. The heat also helps to break down and thin out mucus to help clear it from the body.

Does a Hot Tottie really work?

Both experts concluded that a hot toddy is a soothing drink that can help temper some cold symptoms, but it doesn't have any more healing powers than a bowl of soup or a steaming cup of tea. “It'll make you feel better because it's comforting and it will help replace some fluids, but not much else,” Kacew says.

Why is a hot toddy good for you?

Still, a hot, spicy drink like the toddy may help if you're sick. ... The spices stimulate saliva, helping a sore throat, and the lemon and honey will stimulate mucus, she writes, citing Ron Eccles, director of the Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University.