One of my favourite things this past year of lockdown has been watching beekeepers on TikTok. These little insects are just so fascinating and I’m still quite amazed by how honey production works. This has resulted in me buying mostly local honey products from Scotland and Britain when looking for honey to #supportthelocal. The honey itself feels more personal and makes every hot drink or home-baked goods come alive with flavour.
Raw honey also has some health benefits: it contain antioxidants, is antibacterial and can assist with digestive issues. Now I’m not saying these recipes below are healthy, but they’re delicious and at the same time you can be supporting your local bees and beekeepers! All the recipes below can of course be adjusted to suit your personal palate, be it sweeter, more sour, bitter or diluted.
So in honour of National Honey Bee Day : here’s three classic whisky cocktails that can easily be made with raw honey from your local brands instead of sugar.
Bee-licious Whisky Sour
My absolute favourite whisky cocktail!
50ml whisky of your choice
25ml lemon juice
10ml honey
2 dashes of bitters (optional)
1 egg white
Shake all ingredients together over ice and strain in to a fresh glass with a large ice cube (or several small ones). The honey can be slightly warmed to more easily dissolve, but don’t heat the mixture up when the egg has been added as it can coagulate.
Tip: if you don’t have a shaker at home, a jam jar with a lid or similar and a sieve works well too! Just make sure the lid is sealed…
Buzzing Mint Julep
A classic Mint Julep doesn’t have any lime, but personally I love this addition since it makes it like a refreshing whisky mojito!
4-5 mint sprigs
15ml honey syrup
50ml whisky of your choice
Half a lime
Pick the leaves of the mint sprig and muddle well with the lime and honey. Add the whisk(e)y and crushed ice. Enjoy!
You can also add sparkling water to dilute the serve further to taste.
Old Fashioned Wanna-Bee
A spirit-forward classic!
50ml whisky of your choice
1-2 dashes of bitters
2 tablespoons of honey syrup
soda water (optional)
orange slice or maraschino cherry
Stir together all ingredients and add ice. Top with soda water if you like and garnish with orange slice or maraschino cherry.
Here’s some of my favourite honey brands:
English 
Svenska
2 Responses
Hi Moa,
Trust you are well and safe.
I am Surya from Stockholm in Sweden and loved this site. I loved your Beelicious Cocktails I tried over the festive season. They were simply wonderful!!!
We also have something else in common.
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Of which you are an ambassador and I am a huge fan.
If ok with you, we should meet up in person over a few drams when you are in Stockholm next. I will be sending you a request on Facebook. Hope that is fine.
Looking forward to staying in touch and meeting you.
Thanks and with warm regards,
Suryakiran Bonta
P.S. – I normally use Bonta as my name in Sweden as it is easier for folks here. But I prefer being called Surya. Suryakiran means the rays of the sun and Surya means sun.
Wow, thanks for your post. I would love to try the Bee-Licious Whisky Sour next time! Maybe you would love to check this website for bags: mybosidu. We also share some interesting posts about bags and tips you might need for travel.