Nancy O'Donnell

After a long day tending to five children, my mother would command time for herself. With a mystery book under her arm, she’d climb the stairs to her bedroom and her “hot toddy.” In her case, the hot toddy was a cold bottle of Miller High Life, “the champagne of beers.” While she didn’t opt for the conventional original (whiskey, water, and lemon juice) except when needed to break a fever, she did imbue the term “hot toddy” with a sense of tradition and celebration.