In this article, we will be covering the 15 best drinks for sore throats and coughs. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis, you can move directly to the 5 Best Drinks for Sore Throat and Cough.

The Cold, Cough, and Sore Throat Remedies Market

According to a report by Global Industry Analysts, the global cold, cough, and sore throat remedies market was valued at $7 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow to $9.7 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of 4.2% over the forecast period.

As reported by the American Lung Association, colds are minor infections of the nose and throat caused by more than 200 different viruses. 10% to 40% of the colds are caused by Rhinovirus. Cold accounts for the most doctor visits than any other disease in the United States. Adults suffer from an average of two to four colds per year while young children get an average of six to eight colds per year. Some of the common cold symptoms include sneezing, a sore throat, congestion, cough, and a runny nose.

Remedies to Consider

Acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, or any other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug can be used to relieve aches and pains. However, they should be taken depending on the patient’s health condition and age. For instance, Aspirin should not be given to children under 18 years old while asthmatic people should also not be given these medicines unless suggested by a doctor. Congestion, cough, and nasal discharge can be treated with a decongestant, antihistamine, or a combination of the two. Many over-the-counter products contain both of them. However,  it is not suitable for everyone and should be consumed after consultation with a healthcare provider. As for antibiotics, they should only be consumed for treating bacterial complications that arise from colds.

Apart from prescriptions and over-the-counter medication, natural remedies tend to be effective against sore throat and cough. Herbs, minerals, and other products such as echinacea, eucalyptus, garlic, honey, lemon, menthol, zinc, and vitamin C are known remedies for a cold. While drinks containing alcohol or caffeine are consumed to fight cold, they can also lead to dehydration.

Reputable Sources of Cold Medication

Companies offering over-the-counter cold medication include Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE), CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS), and Kenvue Inc. (NYSE:KVUE). Other large pharmaceutical companies have also been previously covered. Let’s take a look at some of the recent developments from these firms.

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation. The company offers over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and supplements. Some of these include Advil which helps consumers treat the aches and pains of the common cold, and Robitussin which has been providing effective relief from cough and cold symptoms for more than 50 years. On December 15,  Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) reported that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved PADCEV, in combination with pembrolizumab, for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer. This combination is the first approved to offer an alternative to platinum-containing chemotherapy, the traditional standard of care.

CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) is an American healthcare company that operates the CVS Pharmacy and offers oral cough and cold products. On October 29, CNBC reported that the company decided to voluntarily remove some of the most common cough and cold medicines from its store shelves and will no longer sell them. These products contain phenylephrine as the only active ingredient. This step was taken after a panel of advisors to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unanimously determined that the main ingredient used in many famous over-the-counter cold and allergy medications, phenylephrine,  does not work to clear up congested noses when taken orally. However, CVS Health Corporation (NYSE:CVS) will continue to sell other oral cough and cold products.

Kenvue Inc. (NYSE:KVUE), a consumer health company and a former Consumer Healthcare division of Johnson & Johnson, provides over-the-counter cold medications. The company offers cold, cough, and allergy-related medication through brands including Zyrtec, Benadryl, Sudafed, Benylin, Frenadol, Rhinocort, and Codral. On October 26, Kenvue Inc. (NYSE:KVUE) reported financial results for the fiscal third quarter of 2023. The company reported earnings per share of $0.31 for the quarter. The company’s revenue for the quarter amounted to $3.92 billion, ahead of market consensus by $2.10 million.

You can also view the most advanced countries in medicine and the top medicine producing countries. Now that we have taken a look at the global cold, cough, and sore throat remedies market, we can move to the 15 best drinks for sore throat and coughs.

Our Methodology:

In order to compile a list of the 15 best drinks for sore throat and cough, we used a consensus approach. We made a comprehensive list of drinks deemed good for curing a sore throat and cough using multiple sources. These sources include Business Insider, Medical News Today, Scoop Whoop, The Kitchn, and Food For Net. Moving on, we assigned a score to all of these drinks, as represented by the ‘Insider Monkey score’ in our list. This score is an average that we calculated by summing up the respective rankings for a drink across every source and dividing the sum by the number of sources in which the drink appeared in. Since this score reflects how commonly a drink appeared across our sources, a lower average score depicts a more commonly suggested drink suitable for a sore throat and cough.

Finally, we ranked the 15 best drinks for sore throats and coughs in descending order of their calculated average scores.

15 Best Drinks for Sore Throat and Cough

15. Coffee with Honey

Insider Money Score: 7.0

Coffee with honey, which is a natural cough suppressant, is an effective cure for sore throat and cough. Honey also provides antibacterial properties. Hence, this coffee-honey mix eases coughing and ranks as one of the best drinks for sore throat and cough.

14. Chamomile Tea

Insider Money Score: 6.3

Chamomile tea ranks among other best drinks for sore throat and cough. Chamomile works to lubricate the throat and soothes the scratchy irritation that comes from a throat infection. Chamomile tea is known to have anti-inflammatory properties. This can potentially help with tissue health and repair as well.

13. The Penicillin

Insider Money Score: 6.0

The Penicillin is another alcoholic drink that includes ingredients such as honey, lemon, and ginger. Since the ingredients have soothing properties, the drink acts as an effective treatment in case of sore throat and cough.

12. Hot Blackcurrant Drink

Insider Money Score: 6.0

Hot blackcurrant drink ranks as one of the best drinks for sore throats and coughs. Blackcurrant is known for increasing salivation and reducing inflammation in the throat. The drink can be easily made by diluting a blackcurrant concentrate such as Ribena with hot water.

11. Red Wine Hot Chocolate

Insider Money Score: 5.0

Red wine hot chocolate is another warm drink to soothe a cold during winter. Hot chocolate mixed with red wine is known to have a rich taste and gives a warming effect to those suffering from sore throat and cough.

10. Dead Rabbit Irish Coffee

Insider Money Score: 5.0

The Dead Rabbit Irish coffee is another alcoholic drink deemed good for sore throat and cough. It is made by mixing whiskey with strong coffee and demerara syrup, topped with whipped cream. The drink has a rich and slightly sweet flavor.

9. Ginger Tea

Insider Money Score: 4.3

Ginger has been used to treat various ailments including sore throat. It is rich in antioxidants and reduces cell damage while preventing inflammation. Ginger is also known to promote immune responses to kill viruses. Hence, ginger is an effective way to cure a sore throat and improves the recovery time.

8. Chai Latte

Insider Money Score: 4.0

Chai latte is made by mixing steamed milk with black tea that has been infused with spices. It is also a popular product on café menus. Chai tea which typically contains ginger, cardamon, cloves, and cinnamon, tends to soothe a sore throat and cough. Hence, Chai latte ranks as one of the 15 best drinks for sore throat and cough.

7. Mulled Wine

Insider Money Score: 4.0

Mulled wine ranks among the best drinks for soothing sore throat and cough. Red wine with oranges or lemons, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, cardamom, or honey is warmed to serve as a remedy against cold.

6. Blanco Tequilas

Insider Money Score: 3.0

Blanco tequilas especially with lemon and salt act as a quick remedy against sore throat and cough. The alcoholic drink helps in clearing sinuses. The agave flavor is also said to have anti-inflammatory properties. Hence, Blanco tequilas are among the best drinks for sore throat and cough.

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Disclosure: None. 15 Best Drinks for Sore Throat and Cough is originally published on Insider Monkey.