Are you looking to put a new spin on your cocktails? Why not take your mixology abilities to the next level with honey? Its rich viscosity and unique flavor make it an intriguing sweetener than sugar, offering a depth of richness that white sugar just cannot match.
Apart from that, honey also adds delicate flavors that lend detail and taste to every drink, elevating it from great to exceptional. So let’s get intoxicated with these eight innovative, mind-blowing honey cocktails.
8 Best Honey Cocktails That You Can Make At Home!
- Bee’s Knees Cocktail
- The Penicillin
- Fallen Leaf
- Gold Rush Cocktail
- Make It Count
- Honey Lime Margarita
- Honey Mojitos
- Honey Kumquat Caipirinha
1. Bee’s Knees Cocktail
To start off, we bring you a breezy cocktail that you can easily make. The Bee’s Kees is a drink from the Prohibition era made of gin, lemon juice, and honey. The expression “bee’s knees” was widespread slang for anything exceptional or good. It’s an effortless variation on the classic Gin Sour (gin, lemon, sugar), but with honey instead of sugar.
The honey makes the drink richer, and it may have been used to hide the flavor of the inferior gin that was popular at the time. This cocktail is vividly flavorful, gently sweet, and all-around enjoyable. Even if you’re not a gin drinker, trust us, the Bee’s Knees is worth your time.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. of water
- 2 tbsp. of honey
- 1 ounce of lemon juice
- 2 ounces of gin
- Lemon twist, for garnish
How To Make A Bee’s Knees Cocktail
- Start with making honey syrup by combining equal parts water and honey in a microwave-safe bowl. Then heat it until the honey fully dissolves in the water and set it aside.
- For the lemon twist, peel off strips of lemon zest and then juice the lemon.
- Now, take a cocktail shaker and fill it with ice. Follow that with ½ ounce of honey syrup, lemon juice, and gin. Shake until the mix is chilled for about 30 seconds.
- You can pour the mix into a coupe or martini glass.
- For garnish, twist the lemon peel over the drink for its oil to mix into the cocktail, drop it in, and enjoy.
2. The Penicillin
Have you ever tried a scotch cocktail? If not, we’re sure you are going to be blown away by this mix. The Penicillin has two kinds of scotch, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, sweet and spicy honey-ginger syrup, and a yummy candied ginger garnish. It’s one of the greatest ways to appreciate scotch.
It’s spicy and sweet, smooth and smokey, and has beautifully peaty undertones. Though it may sound like a classic, this mixed cocktail is just a little more than fifteen years old. This masterpiece was created by experimenting with Gold Rush, but instead of bourbon, Sam Ross, a famous bartender added two different sorts of scotch.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of blended scotch whiskey
- ¾ ounce of lemon juice
- ¾ ounce of honey ginger syrup
- ¼ ounce of single malt scotch
- 1 candied ginger garnish
How To Make The Penicillin
- Start by mixing the blended scotch, honey-ginger syrup, fresh lemon juice, and ice in a cocktail shaker. Now, shake the mix until chilled.
- Take a tumbler, add ice to it, and pour the mix over it.
- Top it with single malt scotch and garnish with a piece of candied ginger on a cocktail toothpick.
Also Read: 8 Bold Red Cocktails To Enjoy This Galentine’s Day
3. Fallen Leaf
If you’ve been looking for a drink to enjoy on chilly days, look no further; Fallen Leaf is perfect for you. It’s got a lovely heat from ginger liqueur, a round sweetness from house-made honey syrup, and lots of spice from cinnamon and allspice.
It has a dark profile and is far more spicy than Hot Toddy, the original drink from which the Fallen Leaf was invented. Elijah Craig’s bourbon and Lustau’s brandy de Jerez were originally used by Brett Esler to give this cocktail a smooth and rich depth.
Ingredients
- 3/4 ounce of bourbon
- 1/2 ounce of brandy
- 1/4 ounce of ginger liqueur
- 1/4 ounce of rum
- 1/4 ounce of lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/4 ounce of honey syrup
- 8 ounces of water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 lemon peel
- Lemon wheel
- Grated nutmeg
How To Make Fallen Leaf
- To begin, boil water, lemon peel, and cinnamon stick for 5 minutes, then strain the water and set aside to cool.
- Take a glass mug and pour bourbon, brandy, ginger liqueur, rum, honey syrup, and lemon into it.
- Follow it with cinnamon-lemon-infused water. For garnish, add a lemon wheel and grated nutmeg to the drink.
4. Gold Rush Cocktail
Gold Rush is a simplistic whiskey-based drink that is a spin on the classic Whiskey Sour. Remember, we just spoke of the Gold Rush being the inspiration for Bee’s Knees? Yes, in the age when these drinks emerged, bartenders enjoyed experimenting with the ingredients, and the results were delicious. So why not reap the benefits of them all?
We recommend going for a bourbon that is well-aged; at least a four-to-eight-year range will do well. It has a nice sweet and sour flavor with a smooth and silky texture. This concoction is so good that you might find yourself memorizing the recipe on the first go.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of bourbon
- 3/4 ounce of freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3/4 ounce of honey syrup
How To Make A Gold Rush Cocktail
- In a cocktail shaker, combine all of the components and shake for roughly 10 seconds, or until well chilled.
- Strain into an old-fashioned glass loaded with ice and enjoy!
Also Read: 7 White Wines In India To Try Right Now!
5. Make It Count
The perfect drink for a hot summer day or an after-dinner treat will be Make It Count. If you’re a light drinker but like to give company to your pals, you should definitely go for this cocktail.
Make It Count is simple to make, with just a few ingredients blended over ice. This gorgeous red-hued cocktail is inspired by the simple but pleasing combination of Campari and orange juice. It looks stunning and has sweet and tangy notes to it.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of Campari
- 1 ounce of club soda
- 1 ounce of concentrated blood orange puree
- 1/2 ounce of honey syrup
- Dehydrated orange wheel
How To Make A Make It Count
- Take a highball glass with ice and add the Campari, club soda, blood orange concentrate, and honey syrup and stir gently to combine.
- For garnish, add an orange wheel to the drink, and your cocktail is ready.
Also Read: 7 Cosmopolitan Cocktail Recipes To Try Right Now
6. Honey Lime Margarita
Who doesn’t like a glass or two of Margaritas? It’s one of the best ways to enjoy tequila, and you’ll soon figure out why. The highlight of this drink is the salty rim that you get to enjoy with every sip by rotating the glass each time.
Honey lime margaritas are actually simpler to make than regular Margaritas. It’s a thirst-quenching, sweet, and tangy cocktail that we’re sure you’ll need more than one of. Don’t worry, we’ve given the recipe for two so you can enjoy both at the same time.
Ingredients
- Lime wedges
- Lime wheel
- Chili lime seasoning (tajin), or margarita salt
- 4 ounces of tequila silver, or Blanco
- 4 ounces of freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 to 2 tbsp. of honey syrup
How To Make A Honey Lime Margarita
- Take two tumbler glasses and rim them with a slice of lime before placing the wet rim into a small dish with chili lime seasoning or margarita salt.
- Fill both glasses with ice and follow that with an equal amount of tequila.
- Now combine honey syrup and lime juice in a separate jar and pour that equally into the tumbler glass.
- For added garnish, you can top the cocktail with a lime wheel by adding it to the drink.
Also Read: Best Mint Cocktails That’ll Refresh You This Summer
7. Honey Mojito
Honey Mojito is another cocktail for the hot summers that you’ll be sipping on like water. It’s a crowd-pleasing drink that you can make for brunch and get everyone to have a good time for sure. Along with Daiquiri and Piña Colada, this cocktail is one of the most popular rum drinks out there.
The refreshing, minty, and tart flavor gives a cooling effect with the kick of the alcohol. White rum is used similarly to a basic Mojito, allowing the brilliant green color of the mint to show through a clear glass. If you’d like to really change the game, you’ll need to ace up your muddling for this cocktail.
Ingredients
- 8 leaves of fresh mint
- 1/2 lime cut into 6 wedges
- 2 tbsp. of mint honey simple syrup
- 1 1/2 ounces of white rum
- 4 ounces of club soda
How To Make A Honey Mojito
- You’ll need to start by muddling mint leaves and 3 lime wedges together nicely in a high glass. Then add 2 more lime wedges and honey syrup to that and muddle again.
- Now, fill it to the top with ice and pour rum over it.
- Follow that with club soda and stir gently to combine.
- Garnish by adding a lime wedge on the top of the cocktail and relish.
8. Honey Kumquat Caipirinha
Lastly, we bring you a banger that you won’t regret making. Brazil’s national drink is the traditional Caipirinha. Cachaça, fresh limes, and sugar are the only three components in it. Honey Kumquat Caipirinha is a twist on this traditional cocktail that will rock your hot days.
This cocktail looks like a vivid garden in your drink glass. The honey-falernum and Leblon cachaça mix offer a deeper taste profile than the original recipe, and the kumquats give their signature zesty overtones. Another distinctive element of this drink is that it is shaken before being put into a serving glass with crushed fruit and ice.
Ingredients
- 5 kumquats
- 1/2 lime, cut into pieces
- 1 1/2 ounces of Leblon cachaça
- 1/2 ounce of falernum
- 1 ounce of clover honey syrup
How To Make Honey Kumquat Caipirinha
- Take a cocktail shaker and add kumquats and lime to it and muddle them.
- Now pour the cachaça, falernum, and clover honey syrup with ice and shake gently until chilled.
- In an Old Fashioned glass, pour the mix without straining.
Also Read: 5 Methods Of Making Cocktails
Summing Up
Now, aren’t all of them just deliciously good and easy to make? These honey cocktails make the best companions in the summer and winter. We’ve made sure to tell you how to make honey syrup in the first recipe itself, so you don’t have to go looking elsewhere. If you’re planning to try all these cocktails, make sure you make that honey syrup in a large batch.
FAQs
Can Honey Be Used In Cocktails?
Honey, like simple syrup, is used to sweeten cocktails, but unlike simple syrup, it also lends a wonderfully unctuous flowery flavor to the completed drink.
What Kind Of Alcohol Can You Make With Honey?
Mead, often known as honey wine, is prepared by fermenting honey with water.
Is It Good To Mix Honey With Alcohol?
Honey provides sugar for our bodies to digest, which speeds up the breakdown of alcohol. Also, honey lessens the drastic drop in blood sugar levels that produces headaches the next morning.
How Do You Blend Honey In A Drink?
A honey syrup with a one-to-one honey-to-water ratio tastes mild. You can make a richer syrup by raising the honey-to-water ratio to 2:1 or even 3:1.
Can I Mix Whiskey With Honey?
Whiskey and honey are a cocktail power couple. They’re just better together, with honey’s mellow sweetness enhancing whiskey’s cozy warmth and whiskey’s edge brightening honey’s silky depth.
Can We Mix Wine With Honey?
Yes, you can mix honey with wine and you get a nice sweet mulled wine.
What is wine made with honey called?
Mead is a wine made with honey, water, and yeast. Mead-making predates beer and wine-making by 8,000 years.
