How To Use Different Coloured Honeys In Cocktails: An Easy Guide

Honey is used widely in crafting several cocktails for its sweet notes and syrupy texture giving the drinks a very luxe and distinct quality. However, the kind of honey that goes into making cocktails also varies according to the taste and colour of the syrupy liquid produced laboriously by many little busy bees working round the clock to create the nectar out of the pollen collected from flowers. Honeybees are known to swarm around many different floral plants to gather a variety of pollen which lends itself to preparing the honey variations that are then extracted by beekeepers from the honeycombs.

Across landscapes, seasons and different climatic conditions, the kinds of honeys produced by bees witnesses shifts because bees derive sources for their honey from plants as wide ranging as legumes, clover and sage to lavender, dandelions and thyme. And as they collect pollen from these blossoms, so too the colours of the honey they produce undergo significant changes. The darker shades of honey tend to have more earthy or bolder flavours as opposed to the lighter variants with mild and delicate tasting notes.

Read on below to know more about the different coloured honeys that are often used in culinary and drinking practices:

Light Amber Spring Or Clover Honey

This light coloured honey is generally harvested in spring and carries a very soft and light taste making it more conducive to cocktails that require just a hint of syrupy qualities. The amber coloured honey most often than not has a distinctly sweet taste and is prepared from the pollen of sweet clover, raspberry, wild cherries and other flowers. Inevitably, it has a very beautiful floral quality making this natural sweetener a sought after ingredient while crafting delectable tipples in the spring season.

Lavender Honey

This variant of honey has garnered quite a bit of fame in the recent period when a jar featuring lavender honey went viral on the internet. The pollen used for preparing this honey comes from wildflowers, wild oregano and other dyed floral plants which contain the purple pigment that gives the syrup this distinct colour. Lavender honey also carries a very floral aroma making it conducive to cocktail mixes that contain other flower-inspired ingredients like elderflower liqueur or lavender cordial.

Dark Brown Manuka Honey

This variant of honey is most commonly found in New Zealand and has a very dark amber colour that almost looks black when glanced from afar. The honey has a very strong and earthy flavour and quite a robust quality that would make it attractive as a spread lathered on sweet bread or a pastry. The strong flavour of the nectar can be attributed to the manuka bush whose flowers are used by bees to prepare this syrup. Manuka honey is also claimed to have many medicinal properties, making it quite popular among those looking for more conscious food alternatives.

Dark Amber Buckwheat Honey

The honey sources used for preparing this version give the final product a dark amber colour and a strong flavour that many find very hard to consume. Yet, it is a type of honey most often used on a massive scale by bakers for its earthy profile and potent aroma that is almost reminiscent of molasses or even the malt which is used to produce a quality spirit.

Golden Orange Blossom Honey

Most times, honeybees use the pollen of more than one flower to make their delicious nectar. But beekeepers tend to label honey jars with the flavours that are most pronounced in the final produce extracted from the honeycombs. The golden coloured orange blossom honey is one such variation which highlights the notes of the citrus flowers that go into its making. This nectar also has a slightly tangy taste, making it an excellent addition to citrus-forward cocktails.