Sweet heat gin cocktail
In our family no holiday is complete without the invention of a new craft cocktail. We used to compete to see who could invent the best drink, but we all got a little tired of losing to my brother Loyd. Today, we’ve all conceded to the master mixologist in the family and now instead of making multiple cocktails, we have a competition to see who can come up with the best name for Loyd’s latest creation. It is a ton of fun and as you’ll soon find out this drink was cleverly titled to perfection.
In this recipe we used small batch favorites like Mike’s Hot Honey and Blenheim’s Ginger Ale which can be purchased online or in specialty food markets. Feel free to substitute your favorite ginger beer and if you don’t have access to Mike’s Hot Honey just add a dash of cayenne pepper. Enjoy!
Bee Sting
Ingredients
- Juice of half a lemon
- Three dashes lavender bitters
- ½ tbsp. mike’s hot honey
- 1.5 oz Gin
- Bleinheim’s Ginger Ale sub: your favorite ginger beer
- Crystalized ginger
- Thyme
- Large swath of lemon peel
- Option: if you don’t have access to mike’s hot honey just add a dash of cayenne pepper
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker with no ice, dry shake the lemon juice, hot honey, and lavender bitters until the honey is dissolved
- Add ice to the shaker –using a jigger pour in 1.5oz high quality gin
- Shake vigorously for 30 seconds
- Double strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice
- Garnish with a sprig of thyme and a knob of crystalized ginger
