Honey, Mix Me Another?

Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

When I’m harvesting honey and get a nice large piece of honeycomb—or even a chunk of beeswax comb, after the honey has been spun from it—my husband steals some before I store it for candle making. He drops it in a large screw-top jar, adds vodka and lets it sit on the shelf for a week or so. Truly, the beeswax and honey infusion make it taste like sunshine in a glass. This is the drink he mixed for me the night after I’d gotten stung several times harvesting my first season of honey. Better than hair of the dog. 

Makes 2 cocktails

2 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons honey
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
¾ cup ice
3 ounces honeycomb-infused vodka
1 ounce orange juice
1 ounce pomegranate juice
1 ounce club soda
2 small strips of lemon rind for garnish

In a cocktail shaker, add hot water, honey and lemon juice. Cover and shake until honey is mixed and melted. Add ice, vodka, orange juice, pomegranate juice, club soda. Cover and shake. Strain into 2 martini glasses, place 1 lemon rind garnish in each and serve immediately. 

This recipe appeared in the Fall/Holiday 2020 issue as part of a larger story on the Business of Beekeeping.