Honey

Straight honey is too thick to mix into cold drinks, so bartenders make honey syrup by combining equal parts honey and warm water. That’s how you get a smooth Bee’s Knees — gin, lemon juice, and honey syrup — one of the best Prohibition-era cocktails. Hot toddies use honey directly since the hot water dissolves it. Different honeys bring different flavors: clover is mild and neutral, wildflower is floral, buckwheat is dark and intense. Raw local honey adds character, but regular supermarket honey works perfectly fine. Store your honey syrup in the fridge; it keeps about two weeks.

Last modified on September 24, 2026