Honey is a great
ingredients for drinks now. It's a great way to, not only increase
the flavor, but also bring some local ingredients to your summer
cocktails. But it doesn't mix very well in it's normal state. So here
are some ways to make honey syrups for your cocktail bar, and a few
recipes afterward.
The Syrups:
Just Honey
This is the basic recipe
for a honey syrup. It has a fairly mild honey flavor, and if you want
to boost the honey flavor over the top, simply double the honey in
the recipe. You can also use whatever other natural sweetener you'd
like instead of honey (agave, turbinado, etc).
Honey Syrup
1 cup Water
1 cup Honey
Combine the ingredients in a
saucepan. Bring them to a boil on medium heat, stirring constantly
until honey completely dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool
to room temperature (about 30 min). Store in an airtight container
for up to 2 weeks.
Honey and Rose
This recipe combines the
amazing flavors of honey and rosewater. For a simple twist, try it
with orange blossom water instead.
Honey Rose Syrup
¾ cup Water
1 cup Honey
¼ cup Rosewater
Combine the water and honey
in a saucepan. Bring them to a boil on medium heat, stirring
constantly until honey completely dissolves. Remove from heat, pour
in the rosewater, stir, and allow to cool to room temperature (about
30 min). Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Herbed Honey
This recipe starts with
a basic herbal tea and combines it with honey for a great, herb
infused flavor.
Choose whatever herbs you'd
like. I like to use single herbs sometimes, or sometimes I make a
mixture of herbs to use. Mint is great, so is Lemon Balm. Try
Lavender or Hibiscus. Or make it with Chai Tea Spices, or Apple Pie
Spice. Quite often I'll also throw in some herbs that no one thinks
about like Thyme, or Basil. Anything goes!
Herb Infused Honey Syrup
1 cup Water
1 cup loosely packed
Herb(s)
1 cup Honey
Combine water and herbs in a
saucepan. On medium heat, bring just to a boil. Turn off heat, cover,
and let sit for 15 minutes. Add in honey and bring mixture to a boil,
continuously stirring, until honey is completely dissolved. Allow to
cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Strain out herbs and
store syrup in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Fun with Fruit
This can really be done
with any of the previous recipes, but if you just want fruit and
honey, here it is! Try with cucumber, berries, apples, citrus, you
name it!
Honey Fruit Syrup
1 cup Water
1 cup Honey
1 cup Fruit
Combine the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring them to a boil on medium heat, stirring constantly until honey completely dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature (about 30 min). Strain out the fruit and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
The Cocktails!:
Blackberry Thyme
It's a great thyme for Blackberries! (Sorry for the pun) This modern take on a traditional Tom Collins uses a honey syrup made with fresh blackberries and thyme. To make the syrup, use 1 cup blackberries, 1 cup thyme, 1 cup water, 1 cup honey, and follow the above honey fruit syrup recipe (but throw the thyme in with the fruit). It's delicious and refreshing, perfect for a summer party!
Blackberry Thyme Collins
1.5 oz Gin (or Vodka if you prefer)
.75 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Blackberry Thyme Syrup
Top with Club Soda
Combine Vodka, Lemon Juice, and Syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake well. Pour into a pint glass, top off with fresh ice if needed. Pour the club soda over mixture. Garnish with a fresh blackberry and thyme sprig.
Rose and Grapefruit
The traditional Paloma is a great cocktail made with tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda. In this version we are making our own grapefruit soda by using a Grapefruit Rose Syrup. For the syrup, simply follow the above Honey Rosewater Syrup recipe, but throw in ½ cup of fresh Grapefruit to the mixture as it boils. If you want it to have more of a rose flavor, double the rosewater at the end.
Paloma Rose
2 oz Tequila
.5 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Grapefruit Rosewater Syrup
Top with Club Soda
Rim a pint glass (or margarita glass) with salt and fill it with ice. Combine tequila, lime juice, and syrup in a shaker with a little ice. Mix and strain into the pint glass. Top off with club soda, garnish with a thin Grapefruit wedge, and enjoy!
Misty Mornings
One of the more popular drinks this year is a Moscow Mule, which
is typically made with Vodka and Ginger Beer. This take on it uses a
Lavender Earl Grey Syrup, lending it a slightly British flair. For
the syrup, use 1 cup water, 1 cup honey, ½ cup lavender, and ½ cup
Loos Leaf Earl Grey Tea.
Misty Morning Mule
1.5 oz Vodka (Sweet Tea Vodka works well with this)
.5 oz Lime Juice
.5 oz Lavender Earl Grey Syrup
Ginger Beer (non alcoholic)
Fill a copper mule mug (or pint glass) with ice. Combine ingredients
(save the ginger beer for last, you won't need a whole can) and give
it a few stirs. Garnish with a lime wedge and lavender sprig. Enjoy!
Jalapenos?
Jalapenos add a little kick to any cocktail, and this take on an
old fashioned has a great kick. For the Hibiscus Ginger Syrup, use 1
cup water, 1 cup honey, ¾ cup Hibiscus, and ¼ cup fresh Ginger
slices.
Jalapeno Hibiscus Old Fashioned
2 oz Bourbon
1 oz Hibiscus Ginger Syrup
2-4 Slices Fresh Jalapeno
3 dashes Aromatic Bitters
In a shaker, combine Bourbon, Hibiscus Ginger Syrup, and Jalapenos.
Shake moderately. Strain into a rocks glass with a giant ice cube in
it. Add a dash (or 3) of bitters. Garnish with a cherry and a slice
of jalapeno.
A Winning Combination
Cucumber and melon go together so well, especially during the
summer. So of course I have to include a Cucumber Melon Mojito on
this list! For the Cucumber Mint Syrup, use 1 cup water, 1 medium
cucumber, 1 cup of fresh mint, and 1 cup honey.
Cucumber Melon Mojito
1.5 oz Rum
1 oz Cucumber Mint Syrup
1 oz Pureed Watermelon
.5 oz Lime Juice
Top with Club Soda
Combine Rum, Cucumber Mint Syrup, Pureed Watermelon, and Lime Juice
in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Pour mixture (including ice)
into a pint glass and add a little more ice if needed. Top with Club
Soda and garnish with fresh Mint leaves. Enjoy!
In any of these recipes, feel free to change the ingredients
around. Play with different fruit, sweeteners, and herbs. All of
these can also be made using fresh juices instead of alcohol for the
kiddos. Try using pineapple juice instead of Bourbon in the Jalapeno
Hibiscus Old Fashioned, use orange juice instead of Tequila in the
Paloma Rose, or simply leave out the vodka in the Misty Morning Mule.
Have fun, play around, and let me know what you think below!
