A false good idea
Are you cold and think a little drink could warm you up? You are both right and wrong. Ingesting alcohol causes a rush of blood to the periphery of the body, which actually provides a feeling of warmth and well-being. With plaid on the legs and big jacket on the shoulders, a good drink can help keep the spirit going hyggea Danish word whose meaning is close to cocooning, which designates a feeling of relaxation in an intimate and warm atmosphere.
But consuming alcohol can actually lead to heat loss. Certainly, it slightly increases the temperature of the skin, but not that of the internal organs. Exposed to cold weather, the heat stored on the surface will disperse very quickly upon contact with the cold, and the body temperature will drop. Moral: if you are reading this paper at the bottom of an avalanche or an old mountain hut, do not consume alcohol, as it promotes hypothermia. Heated, the alcoholic beverage will however have the merit of invigorating everything it touches, mouth, throat, stomach and even the hands. Or even the feet, if that’s how you hold your cup (successfully tested on a couch).
Grog for small shapes
There is no strict recipe for grog: the basic ingredients are rum and hot water. It takes its name from an English admiral, Edward Vernon (1684-1757), nicknamed “Old Grog”, in reference to his clothes made in grogram, a rough wool and silk fabric, itself derived from French grosgrain. He used to cut his sailors’ rum with water in order to reduce their consumption. It was then customary to add lemon juice to fight against scurvy. Nowadays, especially in cases of colds, honey is also added, which soothes sore throats. Example of classic preparation: heat 12 cl of water, add 3 cl of white rum, the juice of half a lemon and one or two teaspoons of honey.
You can also complete the infusion with cinnamon and cloves. We could debate at length the alleged anti-infectious virtues of lemon, anti-inflammatory virtues of cloves and antibacterial virtues of cinnamon, the alleged benefits of perspiration caused by the drink, which would eliminate toxins, or even steam beverage, which would clear the mucous membranes… The fact remains that grog has never proven its effectiveness as a medicine. So drink it, first and foremost, for pleasure.
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