With a provenance older than the cocktail itself, honey has been a beloved natural sweetener for centuries. With its floral notes and viscous texture, honey adds depth and complexity to recipes and fosters unique enzymes, vitamins, and minerals that bestow a slew of health benefits. From classic sips like the Hot Toddy to the Prohibition-era Bee’s Knees and modern favorites such as Penicillin, there is a rich history and vast culture around honey cocktails. Discover the buzz for yourself with these bee-witching libations.
Hive Five
This classic old-fashioned is reimagined with the essence of the hive. The richness of honey is infused with seductive notes of rose and the earthiness of pollen, which coats the rim of this sophisticated sip.
Ingredients
- 2 oz. bourbon
- 3/4 oz. rose honey syrup (recipe below)
- 2 dashes apple bitters
- Honey and pollen to rim glass
- Orange peel to garnish (optional)
Rim a glass with honey and pollen, and set aside. In a mixing glass, stir together the bourbon, rose honey syrup, and apple bitters. Pour into the rimmed glass and garnish with a classic twist of orange.
Rose Honey Syrup Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tbsp. dried rosebuds
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Remove from heat, let steep, and then strain. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Buy Local: Support your local beekeepers in their hard work to spread the benefits of honey and provide the best quality product in the state. In Naples, husband-and-wife team Josh and Briesa Ruby run Rubee’s and supply Collier County with the highest quality raw honey possible, void of flash-heating, pasteurization, chemicals, and any other unnatural processes or additives.
The Sweetest Sting
The combination of spicy ginger and exotic citrus notes gives this bright, effervescent drink a lively punch of flavor, while the golden nectar offers subtle sweetness like no other. Garnish with a cube of honeycomb, allowing it to drip playfully into your glass.
Ingredients
- 2-3 fresh ginger slices
- 1/2 oz. lemon juice
- 1/4 oz. chamomile honey syrup (recipe below)
- 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
- 1 oz. Amaro Nonino
- 1 bottle Fever Tree Sparkling Lime and Yuzu Soda An assortment of citrus wheels to garnish
Muddle the slices of fresh ginger in a shaker, then add all other ingredients except the soda. Shake vigorously with ice and strain into a wine glass filled with fresh ice. Top with sparkling soda. Garnish with an assortment of citrus wheels and enjoy the sweetness of the sting.
Chamomile Honey Syrup Ingredients
- 1/2 cup orange blossom honey
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp. dried chamomile flowers or 4 teabags
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Remove from heat, let steep, and then strain. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Bear Necessities
This sparkling number features fresh berries, plums, and a honey bear ice pop that acts as a whimsical garnish and adds a delicate sapor as it melts. It’s a satisfying sipper that we hope Baloo would approve of.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup blackberries
- 1/2 cup raspberries
- 1 cup plum slices
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. honey syrup Prosecco
To make the honey bear ice pops, place all ingredients (except the Prosecco) in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into molds and freeze for 4-6 hours. Place an ice bear in a glass and top with Prosecco. Serve immediately.
How to pick the right honey for your cocktail: The flavor possibilities of honey and spirit pairings can be highly nuanced, and the best pairing is up to your palate. However, with more than 300 honey varietals produced in the United States, all sourced from different botanicals, the options can seem overwhelming.
Here are a few suggestions:
• Dark rum pairs well with Florida mangrove honey, given its complementing notes of butterscotch.
• Floral gins benefit from a more delicate orange blossom honey.
• Scotch and bourbons play well with a rich buckwheat honey, with notes of chocolate, coffee, and molasses.
• For more vegetal cocktails that use agave spirits like tequila or mezcal, try a honey with grassy undertones such as an alfalfa honey.
Buzz Worthy
This exotic blend of mezcal, mango, and passion fruit, complemented with a touch of honey, will transport your taste buds to a tropical paradise. For an elevated experience, coat the rim with lightly toasted black sesame seeds, adding aroma and drama to the glass.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz. mezcal
- 1/2 oz. lemon juice
- 1/2 oz. salted honey sesame orgeat (recipe below)
- 1/2 oz. passion fruit puree
- 1/2 oz. mango juice
- Toasted black sesame seeds to rim glass
Rim the glass with honey and sesame seeds, and set aside. Add all ingredients to a mixing tin with ice and shake well. Strain into your rimmed glass with a large ice cube.
Salted Honey Sesame Orgeat
- 1 1/2 cups sesame seeds
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup honey
- Pinch Maldon Salt
- 1/2 tsp. orange blossom water
In a food processor, finely grind the sesame seeds. Combine the remaining ingredients (except the orange blossom water) in a small pot and bring to a boil. Add the ground sesame seeds and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add the orange blossom water and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 12 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth, and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Hangover Cure? Sure, honey is a sweet and tasty superfood with antibacterial and antiviral properties that can boost your immune system and fight sickness, but did you know it could also prevent your next hangover? The natural sugars in honey help the alcohol metabolize in the body and prevent sudden changes in blood sugar levels. A tablespoon before bed and again in the morning can help seal the deal.
Bee-Witched
This elegant variation on the Bee’s Knees boasts a delightful twist. The sweetness of ripe pear is enhanced by the aromatic notes of lavender and vibrant butterfly pea flowers, creating a sensory experience that is nothing short of enchanting. Yet, it’s the locally sourced honey that infuses this cocktail with its irresistible sweetness and steals the show in this cerulean beauty.
Ingredients
- 2 oz. gin
- 1 oz. fresh pear juice
- 3/4 oz. butterfly pea and lavender honey syrup (recipe below)
- 3/4 oz. fresh Meyer lemon juice
- Honey and lavender and/or cornflower petals to rim glass
- Dehydrated and butterfly pea–infused pear slices to garnish (optional)
Rim a coupe glass in honey and dip in mixture of lavender and/or cornflower petals, and set aside. Add all remaining ingredients to a mixing tin with ice and shake well. Strain into the rimmed coupe glass and garnish with a dehydrated pear slice.
Butterfly Pea and Lavender Honey Syrup Ingredients
- 1/2 cup wildflower honey
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp. dried butterfly pea flowers
- 1 tbsp. culinary-grade dried lavender
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Remove from heat, let steep, and then strain. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
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