ELI5 Sore Throat - is alcohol or honey a better remedy?

What causes a sore throat? Why is it that alcohol, which is a disinfectant, doesn’t cure a sore throat? Why is honey a popular remedy? Explain the science behind the "lump in your throat" feeling. Did George Washington die of a sore throat? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: perkovic15, nmxt, admiralakbar1, thezhoumustgoon, dcsantonio, imlagginghelp, tstack123, intanetto, ddbaby, peppercakerinkiki and tbf16 To the ELI5 community that has supported us so far, thanks for all your feedback and comments. Join us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/eli5ThePodcast/ or send us an e-mail: [email protected]