We’re not only bringing you the latest local food news and trends, we’re giving you fun ways to translate them into the food and drinks you make at home. Our articles about local rooftop honey and compound desserts inspired us to post this mouthwatering baklava ice cream recipe. And now we’re finding another fun way to incorporate honey into what we’re making – cocktails, of course.

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Two of the honey-sweetened libations created at City Table in The Lenox hotel.
Courtesy of City Table

Honeyed happy hour

Inspired by the very restaurant below the honey bees themselves, City Table in The Lenox hotel serves a couple of cocktails using their supremely local honey. Now you can try your hand at shaking up a few yourself.

Mexican Monk


  • 2 ounce silver tequila
  • 1/2 ounce Chartreuse
  • 1/2 ounce honey
  • 1 ounce lemon juice
  • 2 cranks black pepper

Shake over ice, serve on the rocks. Top with crushed ice and garnish with a lemon wedge.

Colonels Choice


  • 1 ounce Calvados
  • 1 ounce Maker’s Mark
  • 1/2 ounce Combier
  • 1/2 ounce honey
  • Ginger ale, to taste

Shake over ice and serve on the rocks. Top with ginger ale and garnish with an orange slice.

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Whether you make it here, or shake up a cocktail on your patio, enjoy a little outdoor sipping this weekend.
Courtesy of The Marliave Restaurant

The Flapper cocktail at Marliave is very straight forward, and perfect for summer. If you can’t make it over to their patio, pour one of these on your own. We highly recommend making a full batch of the lavender-honey simple syrup, and then using it in everything from cocktails to desserts all summer long.

Flapper


  • 2 ounce Greylock Gin by Berkshire Mountain Distillers (located in Great Barrington, MA)
  • 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 ounce lavender-honey simple syrup (recipe follows)

Shake over ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Lavender-honey simple syrup

  • 1 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 sprigs fresh lavender

Combine ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil then immediately remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature, then strain out lavender. Store in the refrigerator.

City Table - 65 Exeter St., Boston, 617-933-4800, citytableboston.com

Marliave - 10 Bosworth St., Boston, 617-422-0004, marliave.com