Weekend Whiskey Hot Scotch and Lemon

If you aren't already familiar with P. G. Wodehouse's Mr. Mulliner stories, do yourself a favor and look them up. You can start with Meet Mr. Mulliner, or go ahead and get the whole set in The World of Mr. Mulliner.

Mr. Mulliner is a regular at the countryside pub, The Angler's Rest, where he always orders a hot Scotch and lemon and always has a story about one of his relatives suited (to his own satisfaction, at least) to whatever the topic of conversation might be. Wodehouse made him a fisherman to allow for the possibility that, just maybe, not every word that falls from his lips is strictly factual.

As a fan of Wodehouse in general and the Mulliner stories in particular, I've added Mr. Mulliner's drink of choice to my cold weather repertoire, and in the last couple of years I've been promoting Hot Scotch and Lemon Day because why not.

By sheer chance, I went to my club last night, and saw them making a slew of hot toddies using lemon wheels impaled by whole cloves. And there, I knew, was the little touch that would mark the Weekend Whiskey Hot Scotch and Lemon.

1/4 inch wide round lemon slice
4-5 whole cloves
2 oz blended scotch whisky
boiling water

Stick cloves into lemon pulp. Place lemon in bottom of handled mug. Add whiskey. Fill mug with boiling water.

Which, when you look at it, is just a hot Scotch and lemon with a few cloves thrown in. And that's fine by me.