Sonnie Boy

Carson McCullers

1 part dry sherry

2 parts freshly brewed tea

1 lemon wedge, for garnish

Place the sherry and tea in a mug and stir to combine.

Garnish with the lemon wedge and enjoy.

McCullers wrote novels, short stories, plays, and more, work that often explored the place of outsiders in the American South, and can be considered part of the Southern Gothic genre. She was especially fond of a drink she called the Sonnie Boy, which was a simple mixture of hot tea and sherry. She would keep this in a thermos and drink it throughout the day when writing, sometimes claiming it was “just” tea.

The Sonnie Boy would make a nice, simple alternative to a Hot Toddy. Use whatever tea you like—black, green, herbal—and a dry sherry, added to taste, but be realistic! A lemon wedge and honey are optional, but nice extras.