It Takes Two Baby – Gin and Honey

I’ve been working to up two games in recent weeks — my gin game andy my syrup game. Self-betterment efforts are only strengthened when conducted in concert, so I’ve been looking for ways to mix the two. The first new cocktail I found was called, elegantly, the White Lady. The recipe mentioned that some bartenders add a twist by throwing in an egg white. I’m one for experimentation so I went with an egg as I well – this drink was nice and smooth with a relaxing and tangy froth that stretches the burn out nicely. It also looks VERY pretty, so a good recipe to impress friends.

2 ounces gin
1 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce lemon juice
1 egg white

The next drink I found via the excellent alcohol/war blog War on the Rocks. The article “Oppenheimer, Martinis, and the Atom Bomb” delivers some interesting insights into the origin of atomic weaponry while providing a key take away: the recipe for Robert Oppenheimer’s favorite martini. Like its namesake, this gin heavy hits really hard but isn’t too harsh or overbearing — a good “I’m going to finish this over the next two hours, slowly” drink. Unlike Oppenheimer, who valued precision, I tinkered a bit with the recipe. I’m not a fan of putting syrup or honey along the rim, so I used this as a good excuse to make some honey syrup, which is super easy (1 cup honey, 1 cup water, boil). I added 1 oz to the drink– to be honest, the honey taste was overwhelmed by the gin, so I might recommend cutting the gin in half and trying that lighter blend.

4oz Gin
1/3 of Dry Vermouth
1 oz Lime Juice
1 oz Honey

Alright, so now I have a tupperwear container full of honey syrup — what’s a boy to do? The Bees Knees, that’s what! Or the New Bees Knees, to be precise. Found this on the interweb — this drink was very simple and sweet. It sort of tasted like a drink you’d want to give to a person just learning about cocktails, highlighting the way you can “brace” gin and sweeten it up a bit. A side benefit, the honey syrup really shines through in this one, giving the concoction a nice unique sweetness. Liked it, and you probably will too!