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Cocktail History
The Tequila Honeysuckle is a modern cocktail that was created at The Ranstead Room in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It’s similar to the Bee’s Knees in makeup, but it calls for tequila instead of gin, swaps out the lemon juice for tangy lime, and sweetens them with honey syrup.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Tequila Blanco: This is a spirit made with unaged agave and water. We used Casamigos Tequila Blanco because it has a sweet agave flavor with notes of grapefruit and vanilla. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Agave Blanco Spirit in place of the tequila.
Honey Syrup: This is a sweetener made with honey and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s simple recipe.
Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. We used freshly squeezed lime juice.
Lime Slice: This is a slice of lime that has been cut into a half wheel shape.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jiggerfrom the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Tasting Notes
The Tequila Honeysuckle starts with notes of sweet honey and agave, has a mostly sweet taste that highlights honey at the forefront and tequila and lime afterwards, and ends with an aftertaste that seamlessly blends all three flavors with the honey lasting the longest on the tongue.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Though the recipe may seem basic, it’s certainly worth saving because the honey and tequila suit each other so well. We both thought the Tequila Honeysuckle was one of the most delicious tequila drinks we’ve ever had!
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Though this is more or less a very simple sour featuring honey (or a riff on the Bees Knees featuring tequila and lime in place of gin and lemon), it is absolutely delicious. Honey and tequila go very well together here, complementing each other in terms of sweetness and unique flavor while the lime plays a supporting role to balance the two. Even though it’s just three ingredients, this is a cocktail worth making and can easily go toe-to-toe with the best Margarita in town.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Tequila is an ingredient we don’t use often enough, in my opinion, and it is fabulous in this drink. I’m now a big fan of the agave + honey combination. Even though the Tequila Honeysuckle is simple, it’s well-balanced, tasty, and much more complex than I expected. I will definitely be asking Alex to make it for me again!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from an issue of Town & Country magazine.
Add tequila, honey syrup, lime juice, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with lime slice.
Ingredients
Directions
Add tequila, honey syrup, lime juice, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with lime slice.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Agave Blanco Spirit in place of the tequila to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Spring Cocktails
If you like this spring-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
The Cherry Blossom: A sake and gin cocktail made with maraschino liqueur, grenadine, triple sec, lemon juice, and a cherry
The Garden Rose (Variation): A tequila and sparkling wine cocktail made with elderflower liqueur, strawberry syrup, lemon juice, rose water, and a strawberry rose
Lavender Sour: A gin cocktail made with lemon juice, Green Chartreuse, lavender syrup, egg white, and dried lavender buds
Golden Chrysanthemum: A brandy and sparkling wine cocktail made with pear liqueur, Suze, and a lemon twist
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