Dry cough, wet cough, asthma cough, and allergic cough. I’m sure you’ve experienced at least one of these. Cowboys from the Wild West had their own simple but effective remedy to tackle a cough before it worsened.
Whether it was during cold nights on the trail or harsh winters in North Dakota, they relied on this natural cough syrup to keep their throats clear and their lungs free from congestion.
This remedy combines ingredients you likely have on hand: honey, lemon, whiskey, and a few other natural additions for extra power. It’s a simple yet effective syrup that has been passed down through generations.
The Health Benefits of the Ingredients
Before we dive into the recipe, let’s take a closer look at why each of the ingredients is so effective in this natural cough remedy. Each one brings its own unique healing properties to the table.
Honey has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties. Raw honey is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and enzymes.
It coats the throat, soothing irritation, and helping to reduce the frequency of coughing fits. Additionally, honey can ease sore throats and help reduce hoarseness and inflammation in the respiratory system.
Lemon brings a high dose of vitamin C and citric acid, both of which can help to break up mucus and relieve congestion. The acidity of lemon juice helps to clear the throat and reduce pain, while its natural anti-inflammatory properties help calm irritated airways.
Whiskey might seem like an unconventional ingredient, but it has been a go-to for traditional cough syrups for generations. Not only does it have a warming effect that can soothe a sore throat, but it also acts as a mild anesthetic, temporarily numbing the throat and suppressing the urge to cough. Plus, it helps preserve the syrup for longer use.
Bronchial Blend Tincture is a powerful herbal tincture that will supercharge this traditional cowboy remedy by providing support for lung health. While this tincture wasn’t part of the original cowboy concoction, its potent herbs help support lung health, clear congestion, and calm persistent coughs, making it the perfect addition to your cough syrup.
Optional Ingredients for Extra Power
Apple cider vinegar is another ingredient you can add for an extra boost. It helps balance the body’s pH and fights bacteria, making it useful when dealing with coughs due to colds or flu.
Ginger is also a great addition to this remedy, known for its warming, anti-inflammatory effects. It can help reduce irritation in the throat and chest, making it easier to breathe.
Cayenne pepper adds a powerful kick to this remedy. Its active compound, capsaicin, helps to stimulate circulation and thin mucus, making it easier to expel from the respiratory system. The heat from cayenne can also relieve throat pain and open up the airways, providing quick relief from congestion and persistent coughing.
Elderberries are well-known for their powerful immune-boosting and antiviral properties. They can help shorten the duration of colds and flu, support respiratory health, and combat infections that often lead to stubborn coughs. Adding elderberries to this syrup enhances its ability to fight off illnesses and strengthen your immune system.
However, if you don’t have access to fresh elderberries, don’t know where to forage them, or they’re out of season, using this non-GMO Dual-Extracted Elderberry Tincture is a convenient and equally potent alternative. This tincture provides the same immune-boosting benefits without the need to source elderberries yourself, and it also avoids the risk of foraging berries that may have been sprayed with pesticides.
Here’s what you should do next time to stop a stubborn cough fast and easily. It’s a homemade syrup that traces back to the time of the Frontiers!
Cowboy Cough Syrup with Whiskey
Here is how you can prepare the cowboy’s cough syrup:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup raw honey
- 2 lemons cubed (medium-sized)
- 1/2 cup whiskey
- 3–6 ml (roughly 3–6 dropperfuls) Bronchial Blend Tincture
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or a small piece of fresh ginger (optional, for added warmth)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (optional)
- 3–6 ml Dual-Extracted Elderberry Tincture (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for a spicy kick)
Instructions:
1. Mix the Ingredients: In a bowl or jar, combine the whiskey, honey, lemon cubes, Bronchial Blend Tincture, and any of the optional ingredients. Stir or shake well until fully mixed.
2. Store the Syrup: Pour the mixture into a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to a month.
3. To Use: Adults can take 1 tablespoon of the syrup every 3–4 hours to soothe a cough. It can be taken straight or mixed with a bit of warm water for a more diluted version. You can also add 1-2 teaspoons of this syrup to your tea.
As you whip up your cowboy cough syrup, remember that relying solely on the medical system isn’t always wise, especially in uncertain times. The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies II by Dr. Nicole Apelian can help you take control of your health by teaching you how to make your own remedies at home.
This book dives into new medicinal plants and practical recipes, giving you the tools you need when traditional healthcare options are limited. Don’t wait until it’s too late—get ready to support your health and wellness during tough times.
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Hate to tell you but even in my life time (I’m old) lemons were not available in the winter anywhere north of the southern border states. An orange in your stocking at Christmas was considered a real treat, almost a miracle.
The actual recipe called for whiskey, vinegar (white), and honey or sugar. Still works. Works better if you heat it.
Lemons and other citrus have pretty stanle shelf life if kept cool. Saving the pith and rind of the lemon and putting in the freezer for winter/later use is an option. Bottled lemon juice is still in stores and so is Minute Maid Frozen lemonade
“Lemons Don’t Have Pits!” puts cheaters on “H” pith (copy pastes, searches internet) Aha’ New Word Of The Day i’ll never forget it, i love eating pith on thick oranges and lemons Thank You MissMacIn TX
Recipe is good for a month in the fridge what if SHTF or NC Hurricane floods, how long will it really last at room temp?
Has any prepper tried this to see?
Honey lasts indefinitely, whiskey tends to lose potency, so combining both would be a short term use, maybe keep both separate until needed, any ideas?
Whiskey in this situation is a preservative. The fruit must be fully covered.
Honey would probably lose it’s beneficial properties over time between the whiskey and the lemon juice; both have different antibiotic properties.
But what makes you think whiskey loses potency? Do you mean when mixed with something? I can assure you liquor ages quite well.
I think what Lisa was asking about was, if the honey and whiskey is mixed together will the whiskey loose it’s potency as the oxygen will degrade the exposed alcohol in potency or flavor.*
*It depends:
Shelf Life of Liquor Fast Facts Unopened liquor of all kinds will generally keep indefinitely if stored properly. Store out of direct sunlight, tightly sealed, in a stable room-temperature environment.
Once opened, distilled spirits like whiskey and gin won’t expire or become unsafe to consume, but they may start to taste “off” after 1–3 years.
Liqueurs, opened, will usually last 6 months–1 year.
Vermouth and other wine-based spirits like vino amari should be refrigerated and consumed within 6–8 weeks.
Honey is the real preservative than whiskey in the long run of this recipe. The lemon juice if added would accelerate the loss in shelf stability of the mixture.
Maybe moonshine would be the exception with no issues.
Not sure if whiskeys have an alcohol content range of 20% to 100%, as moonshine is in the 100% alcohol range.
Any moonshine connoisseurs who can verify this for us preppers, thank you.
Anise Seed (Pimpinella anisum) Tincture for Cough: I read about the Anise Tincture. (Brigitte’s recipe.) I made some up a few months ago to have on hand. We had a cough come through this week and I had the opportunity to try it.
When my 4 year old had a coughing fit, I gave him 1/2 teaspoon of the tincture in a couple of ounces of water and it helped him a lot! I gave a dose to anyone who was coughing at bedtime and it seemed to keep the nighttime cough (when it tends to be worse) at bay quite well.
I did use other cough remedies (homemade chest salve and essential oils on the bottom of the feet) that worked well too, but those were not new remedies to me. I love to find something new that works!
– 6 Tablespoons of Anise Seed
– 1/2 5th of rum or cheap vodka
– Put both in a 1 pint canning jar and leave in a cool dark place for 2-6 weeks. Strain out the anise seeds through a coffee filter. This tincture will keep for years.
I gave middle sized children 1/2 teaspoon of tincture in 2 ounces of water.
If I still had toddlers I would use 1/4 teaspoon in 1 ounce of water.
For adults I would use 1 teaspoon (2 for a large adult) in 3 ounces of water. It tastes like licorice.
Anise has been a popular remedy here in North America for hundreds of years as carminative, a herb that relieves gas pains and bloating. Other traditional uses include colic, rheumatism, and the familiar licorice-flavor in cough drops.
Aniseed, or anise is one of the earliest known herbs, mentioned in records before the birth of Christ. The Greeks, including Hippocrates, the peoples of Asia Minor, and the Romans found many uses for it.
When it is taken in a syrup, anise may help treat coughs, bronchitis and asthma. It is considered an expectorant, helping loosen phlegm. The Romans ate aniseed cake at the end of rich meals to prevent indigestion. Because of the creosol and alpha-pinene content in anise essential oil, it loosens mucus, making it easier to cough, congestion and improving respiratory afflictions such as asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Anise is an expectorant that is also antiseptic to the mucous membranes. This means that anise does double duty: it kill germs while clearing the lungs of congestion.
Taken this my entire life for bronchitis. Works great but we call it a hot toddy
Diced onions with honey poured over them is a simple and wonderful cough syrup. I’m an herbalist so I have several different types of cough syrups I make depending upon the type of cough. Raw sliced onions on the bottom of your feet will end most coughs almost instantly too. Just put socks over them. 😁
Whiskey wasn’t allowed in cow camps, molasses yes honey no, and common joke was that the only fresh fruit for the poor was the mold on their bread. Slippery elm and bitters would’ve been the common cold treatment. I worked outdoors all my life, my favored cold, cough, sore throat treatment was a flask of Presidente Brandy.
So the cowboy cough syrup with whiskey would be used in a different region of the USA. Cowboy working cattle ranches might get all of their work done as there would be a lot of sick patients sipping the glory juice, just kidding.
I do know herbal mixtures with a little added alcohol warmed up does make you feel a lot better.
Would be interesting what the old prepper group would say about the articles recipe to get well.
Years ago, there was a Rye Whiskey that I think was called “Old Mr. Boston”. It was bottled and sold with a lemon wedge in it. Heated or straight from the bottle, it was great for coughs, colds or just taking the chill off. Unfortunately, I can no longer find it in the liquor stores. I don’t even know it still being distilled.
This is known as “Mr. Boston” now. I think the whiskey name has been changed to “Mr. Boston Rock and Rye”. Hope this helps.
I’m from the Green Mountain State. When I was a kid (50 yrs.ago), in our Baptist church we kids would do a Christmas play. Moms would each donate a pc. of candy or a pencil….. for a little bag for each kid.
In Vermont oranges 🍊 came in huge canvas bags from Florida (as did peanuts from Georgia) & you’d buy 1 for a few cents. Mom bought a bunch of Oranges to put 1 in each bag. I was embarrassed & told her that other Moms were giving candy ! She said, SOME kids do not EVER get oranges, because their Moms do not have money to buy any.
After our play, when we each got our gift bags, a girl shouted out, “I GOT AN ORANGE !” I looked at Mom, who was pleased that I had learned something.
Every kid started looking in their bags for THEIR orange. I got mine out too. It was no longer just a piece of fruit.
This recipe was written on a doctor’s prescription pad in 1962:
Whiskey 1tsp
Lemon juice 1tsp
Honey 1Tbsp
1tsp every hour if needed for cough.
In our Lutheran church we received oranges also! We all looked forward to that time in December!
I loved the oranges, but what I enjoyed most, that no one else seemed to want, were the kumquats that came in the same order!
The version I’ve made over the years – which may have a longer shelf life due to no fruit or ginger
-1/2 pint Kerr Mason jar
-shove as many candy cane pieces in as will fit
(I tried ‘Star Mints’ one year…wasn’t quite the same…)
-fill jar with Wild Turkey 101
-wipe the threads and cap
I keep a couple of jars on the back of the stove thru the winter – the whiskey still gets you the numbing and anti-effects, with the peppermint oil and sugar from the canes adding the soothing and coating effects
If you have access to the lemon, honey and/or ginger this would certainly be an excellent starter for a very effective toddy
–Sorry –
‘the numbing and anti-effects’ – should read anti-bacterial effect….
I have a recipe of finely diced onion in a jar cover it with raw honey about 1 inch above onion let it sit for a week then strain out onion and use cough syrup
I have used a mug if hot tea with honey, about a teaspoon of lemon or orange juice, about a teaspoon of Bourbon. A little slice of fresh ginger root doesn’t hurt. Sip on that and it will soothe your throat, give you an extra shot of vitamin C and help you get some sleep. And Grandpa always said that the Bourbon will kill whatever ails you. I keep a shot bottle of honey infused Bourbon (Jim Beam makes a good one) handy in my bedside table. It comes in handy if I wake up coughing in the middle of the night and I don’t need to get up and start flipping on lights or go downstairs to the kitchen.
Self-reliant is always a good thing. Popcorn Sutton made homemade cough syrup with moonshine whiskey and peppermint candy (also can use horehound candy along with the peppermint candy. I think he did). It’s high time we start doing for ourselves. We see how the government treated the victims of Helene. Nobody is coming to help us lower-class and the lower-middle-class citizens when a SHTF.
Yeah, Please stop incorporating trying to sell product in our recipes. You don’t need to buy that bronchial tincture. Also, those books by Apelian are printed on the WORST paper imaginable for use in preparation of homemade elixirs, tinctures, etc. Very disappointed in the quality of the book I ordered.
So basically a hot toddy without the hot water.
The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail remains important. I don’t know how much data there is about their diet and medicine. Interesting cough remedy.