The Big Bear Guide to Cocktail Honey

A good home bar does not need more bottles. It needs a few ingredients that do more work. Our spirit-infused honey line was built for exactly that: real bourbon, rum, whiskey, tequila, and gin infused into raw honey, ready to replace the simple syrup in a cocktail you already know how to make.

Below are five easy ways to put each flavor to use, one cocktail per infusion, plus a bonus non-alcoholic option at the end for anyone who isn't drinking.

These cocktails contain alcohol and are intended for guests 21 and older

Make Your Own Honey Syrup

If you want your infused honey to dissolve smoothly into a cold cocktail instead of sinking to the bottom of the glass, turn it into a syrup first. According to the UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center, honey syrup is traditionally made in a 1:1 ratio of honey to water, warmed briefly and stirred until fully combined. For a sweeter pour, some versions use closer to 1.5 parts honey to 1 part water. Made this way, the syrup keeps in the refrigerator for a few weeks, so it is worth making a batch ahead of a party instead of measuring straight honey into every drink.

Any of the cocktails below can be made with a syrup version of the infused honey instead of measuring it straight from the jar. Use the same amount of syrup in place of the honey listed in each recipe.

Bourbon Honey Old Fashioned

Makes: 1 cocktail    Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1 teaspoon Big Bear Bourbon Infused Honey
• 2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• Orange peel, for garnish
• Ice

Directions

1. Add the bourbon, honey, and bitters to a mixing glass with ice.
2. Stir until well chilled and the honey is fully dissolved.
3. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
4. Express the orange peel over the top of the drink and drop it in.

Note: This is a straightforward twist on the classic. If the honey does not dissolve easily straight from the jar, warm it slightly first.

Rum Honey Dark and Stormy

Makes: 1 cocktail    Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 oz dark rum
• 1 tablespoon Big Bear Rum Infused Honey
• 4 oz ginger beer
• 1 lime wedge, plus more for garnish
• Ice

Directions

1. Stir the rum and honey together in a glass until the honey loosens.
2. Fill the glass with ice.
3. Top with ginger beer and squeeze in the lime wedge.
4. Stir gently and garnish with an extra lime wedge.

Cherry Whiskey Honey Sour

Makes: 1 cocktail    Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 oz whiskey
• 1 tablespoon Big Bear Cherry Whiskey Honey
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• Ice
• 1 cherry, for garnish

Directions

1. Add the whiskey, honey, and lemon juice to a shaker with ice.
2. Shake until well chilled.
3. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
4. Garnish with a cherry.

Tequila Lime Honey Margarita

Makes: 1 cocktail    Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 oz tequila
• 1 tablespoon Big Bear Tequila Lime Honey
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• Salt, for the rim, optional
• Ice

Directions

1. Rim a glass with salt if desired.
2. Add the tequila, honey, and lime juice to a shaker with ice.
3. Shake until well chilled.
4. Strain over fresh ice and garnish with a lime wheel.

Big Bear Bee's Knees

Makes: 1 cocktail    Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 oz gin
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Big Bear Gin Infused Honey, thinned with a splash of warm water if needed
• Ice
• Lemon twist, for garnish

Directions

1. Add the gin, lemon juice, and honey to a shaker with ice.
2. Shake until well chilled.
3. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
4. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Note: The Bee's Knees is a Prohibition-era cocktail originally built to mask the taste of rough homemade gin with honey and lemon. It is the natural, historically accurate pairing for our Gin Infused Honey.

Building a Flight for Guests

If you are hosting and want to do more than one cocktail, pick two or three of these and set out small pours of each so guests can compare. It is an easy way to turn a few jars of infused honey into a real tasting experience without much extra work.

Bonus: Lavender Honey Spritzer (Non-Alcoholic)

Makes: 1 drink    Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 oz Lavender Honey syrup (made using the method above)
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• 4 oz sparkling water
• Ice
• Lemon wheel or fresh mint, for garnish

Directions

1. Stir the lavender honey syrup and lemon juice together in a glass.
2. Fill the glass with ice.
3. Top with sparkling water and stir gently.
4. Garnish with a lemon wheel or a few mint leaves.

Note: Not everyone at the party is drinking, and that does not mean the only option should be soda. This one uses Big Bear Lavender Honey, which is not alcohol-infused, so it is a real non-alcoholic option rather than an afterthought.

Shop the Collection

Shop Specialty Honey to grab the flavors used in this guide, or start with a Flight if you want to try a few before committing to full jars.