Honey Old-Fashioned

The Honey Old-Fashioned is buzzing with flavor and perfect for springtime sipping. It’s an easy twist on a classic recipe that’s easy for beginner mixologists.

About this Honey Old-Fashioned recipe

I love trying new drinks. Like really love it, enough to make it my day job. But sometimes, a few small tweak is enough to make an old favorite feel new again.

This Honey Old-Fashioned feels brand new, like a bud that has just opened to welcome spring. Light floral flavor blends seamlessly with bourbon to create a light, bright twist on the classic old-fashioned.

While this is definitely a riff on an old-fashioned, it’s also a bit reminiscent of the bee’s knees cocktail. I think that’s thanks to the honey (which offers a perfect sweetness) and the tart little bite of lemon that comes from the zest. I love a good old-fashioned and this one is certainly climbing the charts!

More honey recipes: Honey Lemon Whiskey Sour • Gold Rush Cocktail • Honey Mango Lemonade

Tools & glassware

A well-stocked home bar is my secret to mixing up great drinks. Now, that doesn’t stop at the booze! Having good bar basics — cocktail shaker ^*, mixing glass, bar spoon ^*, jigger ^*… — means that when inspiration strikes, I’m ready to go!

For the Honey Old-Fashioned, the basics will serve you well. You’ll want a mixing glass ^* and bar spoon ^*, as well as a strainer.

The honey syrup doesn’t require anything special either — you probably have everything in the kitchen already! It needs a saucepan, measuring cup and spoon (or whisk). You can even make it in them microwave in something microwave-safe, or use a kettle to warm the water.

Old-fashioneds are traditionally served in heavy bottomed tumblers, known as both rocks glasses and old-fashioned glasses. There is a little bit of size variance — single old-fashioned glasses ^* are smaller and more old-school. Double old-fashioned glasses ^*, AKA rocks glasses ^*, are more common these days simply because they’re a bit larger and can fit the large ice cube that’s a signature of the sipper.

favorite rocks glasses

striped old-fashioned glasses

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hobnail rocks glasses

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minimalist rocks glasses

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^*

Ingredients

This recipe is a riff off of the classic, so you’ll see some familiar ingredients on the list. Here’s what I used to give the iconic sipper a spring makeover:

• Bourbon whiskey
• Honey syrup
• Lavender bitters ^*

To make the best Honey Old-Fashioned, use a high-quality whiskey — or even a mid-price one — to level up your drink. And please, please skip the cocktail shaker and club soda that is found in some recipes. Both of these dilute the drink you worked so hard to make!

Garnishes

Citrus is a must for an old-fashioned, but swapping the orange for lemon zest brightens the drink and compliments the sweetness of the honey.

I love a pop of green that a sprig of herbs provides in the spring and summer. There’s something about it that feels so fresh! For my Honey Old-Fashioned I used a sprig of thyme — soon I’ll be harvesting my own from my cocktail herb garden!

One non-negotiable for me is the large ice cube for an old-fashioned. If I’m using a sphere or large cube, I use the directional freezing method to produce clear ice that feels like I’m at a fancy cocktail bar. To fit with the Honey Old-Fashioned, I used an ice designer ^* to create a honeycomb pattern for my ice and it has me happier than a bee in a field of flowers!

Honey for cocktails

Now, you’re not going to grab your honey bear and squeeze it directly into your drink. As I’ve mentioned above, honey seizes when it meets a cold liquid, leaving you with an unappealing solid that won’t do much to sweeten your drink.

Fortunately, most types of honey will work well in a cocktail or drink, but you’ll want one that is 100% pure honey — some brands may be mixed with corn syrup or other ingredients, so always check the label.

I really like using local, raw honey ^* because it is unfiltered. Honey takes on the flavor of the flowers whose pollen the honeybees are feeding from, so you can look for a flavor profile like wildflower honey ^* (my personal favorite), clover honey ^* or orange blossom honey ^* if you prefer.

favorite honeys

orange blossom honey

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wildflower honey

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bourbon honey

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^*

Substitutions & variations

• For a vegan version, use maple sugar or agave as your sweetener in place of the honey.
• For a non-alcoholic version, opt for zero-proof spirits or make your own homemade zero-proof spirits. Since bitters contain trace amounts of alcohol, you may want to use non-alcoholic bitters as well.
• For a different flavor profile, switch up your bitters. Orange or Angostura bitters ^* would both be good in this drink.

Instructions

The Honey Old-Fashioned comes together in just a few simple steps.

First, create your honey syrup by combining honey and warm water on the stove. Stir on low heat until the honey is dissolved, then allow the syrup to cool before using.

Next, fill your mixing glass ^* with ice. Measure in your whiskey and honey syrup.

Stir gently to combine your ingredients. Then, add ice to your rocks glass ^*.

Pour the whiskey honey mixture over the ice and add in your bitters.

Finally, garnish your drink with a piece of lemon zest and a sprig of thyme. Sit back, sip and savor!

How to use Honey Syrup

Honey syrup is a versatile sweetener that can be used anywhere honey sounds good, or even as a substitute for regular simple syrup. You can use it so many ways:

• Stirred into iced tea or cold brew
• Drizzled on ice cream
• As a topper for pancakes, waffles and French toast
• Mixed into lemonade
• Stirred into cocktails like the honey mint julep

Food pairings

I’m all about balance. Give me a sweeter sipper and I’ll opt for something salty or savory on the menu!

For this Honey Old-Fashioned, homemade pita chips and whipped feta dip would be a great pairing. You also can’t go wrong with homemade pizza — who doesn’t love a pizza fresh from the oven with all their favorite toppings?! (I always top mine with hot honey ^* anyway…)

Serve up iced lemon pound cake or deliciously gooey lemon bars for dessert to highlight the lemon zest in the drink. Yum!

FAQ

More Old-Fashioned recipes

• Brandy Old-Fashioned
• Cheerwine Old-Fashioned
• Old-Fashioned Mocktail