Honey is the bartender’s secret weapon when sugar feels too one-note.
Sugar gives a cocktail sweetness. Honey gives a cocktail sweetness, depth, floral character, and a slight thickness in the mouth. Bartenders use it in 1:1 honey syrup form (three parts honey to one part hot water, stirred until smooth) so it shakes and stirs cleanly without clumping at the bottom of the shaker.
The classics are the Bee’s Knees (gin, lemon, honey), the Gold Rush (bourbon, lemon, honey), and the Penicillin (whisky, lemon, honey, ginger, peated float). Everything else extends the family.
The recipes
Cocktail
Bee’s Knees
Prohibition-era cocktail invented to mask the taste of bathtub gin. Why you are pouring this tonight Prohibition-era cocktail invented to mask the taste of bathtub gin. Now we…
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Cocktail
Gold Rush
The Bee's Knees made with bourbon. Why you are pouring this tonight The Bee's Knees made with bourbon. Modern classic from Milk & Honey, New York. Three ingredients.…
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Cocktail
Penicillin
Sam Ross's modern classic from Milk & Honey, 2005. Why you are pouring this tonight Sam Ross's modern classic from Milk & Honey, 2005. Blended scotch, lemon, honey-ginger…
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Cocktail
Brown Derby
Prohibition-era Hollywood cocktail. Why you are pouring this tonight Prohibition-era Hollywood cocktail. Bourbon, grapefruit, honey. Bigger and more bittersweet than its reputation. What to pour it alongside Brunch,…
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Cocktail
Honey Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned with honey syrup in place of demerara. Why you are pouring this tonight The Old Fashioned with honey syrup in place of demerara. Slightly more…
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Cocktail
Honey Margarita
Margarita with honey syrup in place of triple sec. Why you are pouring this tonight The first time I made a Margarita with honey instead of triple sec,…
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Cocktail
Honey Paloma
Paloma with honey replacing the simple syrup. Why you are pouring this tonight Paloma with honey replacing the simple syrup. Floral, refreshing, easier on the sweet tooth than…
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Cocktail
Honey Bramble
The Bramble with honey instead of simple syrup. Why you are pouring this tonight The Bramble with honey instead of simple syrup. Dick Bradsell's modern classic from Soho,…
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Cocktail
The Business
Sam Ross's other modern classic from Milk & Honey. Why you are pouring this tonight Sam Ross's other modern classic from Milk & Honey. Gin, lime, honey. Three…
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Cocktail
Honey Bee
The Bee's Knees made with white rum instead of gin. Why you are pouring this tonight The Honey Bee is the rum cousin of the Bee's Knees, and…
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Cocktail
Lavender Honey Collins
Tom Collins with lavender-infused honey syrup. Why you are pouring this tonight This is the Tom Collins for people who unironically own a French press and a record…
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Cocktail
Honey Mojito
Mojito with honey syrup in place of sugar. Why you are pouring this tonight Mojito with honey syrup in place of sugar. The honey rounds the mint differently…
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Cocktail
Honeysuckle
Pre-Prohibition cocktail. Why you are pouring this tonight Pre-Prohibition cocktail. White rum, lemon, honey syrup. The Bee's Knees with rum instead of gin. What to pour it alongside…
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Cocktail
Honey Whisky Sour
Whisky Sour with honey syrup in place of simple. Why you are pouring this tonight The first time I poured a Whisky Sour with honey instead of simple…
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Cocktail
Rosemary Honey Gin & Tonic
The G&T with a slug of rosemary honey syrup before the tonic. Why you are pouring this tonight This is the gin and tonic for the hosts who…
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Cocktail
The Bramble
Dick Bradsell's modern classic, invented at Fred's Club in Soho, 1984. Why you are pouring this tonight Dick Bradsell's modern classic, invented at Fred's Club in Soho, 1984.…
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Cocktail
Honey French 75
The French 75 with honey syrup in place of simple. Why you are pouring this tonight The French 75 with honey syrup in place of simple. Slightly more…
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Cocktail
Honey Tequila Sour
The Whisky Sour template with reposado tequila and honey syrup. Why you are pouring this tonight I'd like to say this drink came from a bartender on Calle…
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Cocktail
Fig & Honey Old Fashioned
Autumn Old Fashioned. Why you are pouring this tonight Autumn Old Fashioned. Bourbon, honey syrup, fig leaf bitters or a slice of fresh fig muddled in. Sweet, savoury,…
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Cocktail
Rye Honey Flip
Why you are pouring this tonight Old-school flip. Rye, honey, whole egg, nutmeg. Boozy, custard-like, surprisingly drinkable. What to pour it alongside End of the night. Replaces dessert.…
Read the recipe →Make a honey syrup batch on Sunday and you can pull any of these in five minutes. Recipe in our syrup guide.