Level up your cocktails with a spot of local honey. It’ll add a more complex and nuanced flavor than, say, a sugar-based simple syrup and be more interesting. Honey also brings in notes of the honey varietal. These cocktail-party-worthy drinks showcase how honey works equally well with bourbon or vodka. (Or tequila or gin, for that matter.)
When deciding which honey to use, bartenders say clover and alfalfa are all-purpose options. Orange blossom honey works well with citrusy drinks, making it a tasty choice for The San Fernando Brown Derby. For Marigolds at Magnolia, try a wildflower honey to match the floral marigolds.
To incorporate honey into a cocktail, you can make a honey syrup as directed for the Marigolds at Magnolia. Or slowly stir the honey into the drink ingredients with a bar spoon (a long-handled spoon) until the honey is dissolved. Whatever you do, don’t add honey to a cocktail shaker with ice— you’ll end up with a hard-gloppy mass that’ll refuse to incorporate into the drink.
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Edible San Fernando Valley documents and bring to life the interest in farm-to-table, organic and natural foods, and celebrates the people and communities who feed and sustain us. We inspire readers to support and celebrate the growers, producers, chefs, food and beverage artisans, and other food professionals in our community.
