There's something so perfect about hot honey. Spicy goes with sweet, like chicken and waffles, parmesan cheese and an espresso martini, or scrambled eggs with ham and a drizzle of maple syrup. Like other hot flavor combos such as S&P and PB&J, spicy and sweet are the perfect flavor marriage. And when you shake up one of these hot honey cocktails, you may just take a taste of heaven.
How to Make Hot Honey Syrup for Cocktails
Before you mix your drinks, you'll need to take a standard hot honey recipe (or buy some hot honey) and then make hot honey syrup to thin it out. Once you do, you can use this elixir in all your hot honey drink recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup hot honey
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat the honey and water on medium-high, stirring until the honey completely dissolves.
- Cool and store, tightly sealed, in the fridge for up to one month.
Spicy Bee's Knees
If you're hesitant, you can start small by using equal parts traditional honey and hot honey. But this is, truly, the hot honey bee's knees. Feel free to use vodka if gin isn't your thing.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ ounce hot honey syrup
- Ice
- Dehydrated lemon wheel for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, lemon juice, and hot honey syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Float a dehydrated lemon wheel on top of the drink, if desired.
Spicy Lemon Margarita
Margaritas are made to be spicy. The hot honey makes it that perfect balance of sweet and spicy. You'll fall in love instantly.
Ingredients
- Lemon wedge and sugar for rim
- 2 ounces silver tequila
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ ounce hot honey syrup
- ½ ounce orange liqueur
- Ice
- Lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- To prepare rim, rub the rim of the glass with the lemon wedge.
- With the sugar on a saucer, dip either half or the entire rim of the glass in the sugar to coat.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, tequila, lemon juice, hot honey, and orange liqueur.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the prepared glass.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Hot Honey Hot Toddy
Hot toddies are the penicillin of the cocktail world (well, except for the whiskey-forward penicillin cocktail). And while it certainly won't cure any colds or infections, it sure does soothe the soul.
Ingredient
- 1½ ounces bourbon
- ¾ ounce hot honey
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Hot water to top off
- Lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Warm a mug.
- In the warm mug, add hot water and hot honey.
- Stir well to mix and dissolve the hot honey.
- Add bourbon and lemon juice.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Hot Honey Martini
A little bit lemon drop, a little bit spice, this is the martini you make when you want something sweet but maybe something savory, but also want a martini but can't decide. Maybe I'm describing myself a little too much.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ once hot honey syrup
- ½ ounce orange liqueur
- Ice
- Lemon peel for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, vodka, lemon juice, hot honey syrup, and orange liqueur.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a lemon ribbon.
Hot Honey Tequila Highball Cocktail
Tequila, spicy, and sweet are the three best friends that anyone could have. And, no, we're not talking about margaritas. We're talking about the classic and always timeless highball.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces reposado tequila
- ½ ounce hot honey syrup
- 2 ounces club soda
- Ice
- Lemonade to top off
- Lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass, add ice, tequila, hot honey syrup, and club soda.
- Top off with lemonade.
- Stir briefly to mix.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Hot Honey Mule
The ginger beer is just begging for a spicy counterpart to its spiced flavors. Isn't life about making wishes come true?
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka
- ¾ ounce hot honey syrup
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- Ginger beer to top off
- Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, vodka, hot honey syrup, and lime juice.
- Shake well to mix.
- Pour into a highball glass.
- Top off with fresh ice and ginger beer.
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
Stinging Fig Old-Fashioned
The old-fashioned tends to be a little on the sweet side, which isn't surprising since you use nearly an ounce of simple syrup. But when you use hot honey and simple syrup, that sweet heat makes it a total treat.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces fig-infused bourbon
- ½ ounce hot honey syrup
- ¼ ounce simple syrup
- 3-4 dashes orange bitters
- 1-3 dashes aromatic bitters
- Ice
- Fig slice and thyme sprig for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, fig bourbon, hot honey syrup, simple syrup, and bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with a fig slice and a thyme sprig.
Hot Honey: The Best Cocktail Ingredient You Aren't Using
When you're on the hunt for a cocktail that perfectly walks the line of sweet and spicy without any effort at all, look no further than your bottle of hot honey to make your dreams come true. Bring your classic drinks to life with a modern touch or shake up a hot honey drink that's all your own. Life's a little sweeter with this gentle sting.
