Rock and Rye Toddy

1 liter rye whiskey, preferably Wild Turkey 101
3 cinnamon sticks
8 horehound candy drops (see note)
1 teaspoon whole cloves
2 tablespoons dried lemon peel (see note)
2 tablespoons dried orange peel (see note)
3 tablespoons dried horehound (see note)
4 ounces of syrup from a jar of Luxardo Marasca cherries, or other cherries in syrup (see note)
Lemon peel

Enough rock and rye for 17 toddies

Pour the rye into a large wide-mouthed jar. Drop in the cinnamon and horehound candy. Place the cloves and dried citrus peel into a metal tea ball or in a tightly tied cheesecloth packet, then add to jar. Place the dried horehound in a separate tea ball or packet and add to jar. Pour in the cherry syrup, and close the jar. Remove the dried horehound after four hours. Continue to steep for at least two days, and up to a month. Taste periodically, and remove the cloves and citrus peels when the flavor is to your liking. The mixture can be topped off with additional whiskey as it develops.
Combine 2 ounces of the mixture with 2 ounces very hot water in a heat-proof glass and stir gently. Twist lemon peel over and drop in.

Horehound candy drops are sold by many Internet retailers, including vermontcountrystore.com. Dried horehound is available in herbal shops and health food stores. Dried lemon and orange peel can be found in spice shops, or you can dry your own on a wire rack for three to four days. Luxardo Marasca cherries can be purchased through Amazon, or at Dean & DeLuca stores. Italian Amarena cherries in syrup are a good substitute, but do not use regular maraschino cherries.