This cocktail came about because I was reading another recipe aloud to my wife, who asked, “why am I not drinking this right now??” That recipe was the Bumblebee, a riff on the classic Bee’s Knees cocktail. So I gathered my ingredients, made some minted honey syrup, and shook up a couple:
The Bumblebees were a hit – and what’s not to like? Rum, minted honey syrup, lime juice, and something to make it frothy. (The original recipe calls for an egg white, but as we didn’t have any eggs in the house, I went for several dashes of Fee Bros.’ Fee Foam.)
Never one to be satisfied, though, I wondered, “how would this taste with bourbon?”
So I substituted the rum for bourbon, added a dash of Angostura, and omitted the Fee Foam, and voila — the Hive Mind was born!
Part Bumblebee, part Whiskey Sour, part Old Fashioned… I started to call it the Old Sour Bee, but that felt a little… I dunno, but my wife didn’t care for the name, either, so I brainstormed other names, and Hive Mind seemed to work for everyone polled.
Pair this cocktail with goat cheese crostini drizzled with honey and topped with fresh mint. The tangy creaminess of the cheese balances the sour lime, while the honey and mint echo the syrup in the drink. Add a little toasted nut crunch if you want extra texture — it’s a simple, elegant match.
Hive Mind
1
servings30
minutes45
minutesIngredients
2 ounces 2 Wild Turkey 101 bourbon
3/4 ounce 3/4 fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce 1/2 minted honey syrup (below)
1 dash 1 Angostura bitters
Fresh mint leaves or lime slice for garnish
Directions
- Add bourbon, lime juice, bitters, and minted honey syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice
- Shake until well chilled
- Double-strain into a chilled glass over a large ice cube/sphere
- Garnish with fresh mint leaves (gently slapped to release aroma) and/or a lime slice
- Minted Honey Syrup (adapted from the Bumblebee recipe)
- Combine 1/3 cup honey and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan.
- Warm gently over low heat, stirring until fully dissolved
- Let cool.
- Meanwhile, submerge a handful of fresh mint leaves in ice water for 20 seconds.
- Blend the honey syrup with the mint leaves on high speed in a blender.
- Immediately strain through cheese cloth or ultrafine nut milk bag.
- Take 1/2 cup of the prepared honey syrup and add another 1/3 cup water.
- Stir until well combined.
- Store chilled in a sealed bottle or jar. Will keep for about 1-2 weeks refrigerated.
Equipment
Silicone Bar MatBuy From A Bar Above
Stainless Bell JiggerBuy From A Bar Above
Stainless Boston ShakerBuy From A Bar Above
Stainless Fine Mesh StrainerBuy From A Bar Above
Stainless Hawthorne StrainerBuy From A Bar Above
Notes
- This cocktail is built on the bones of a Bumblebee (itself a rum-based riff on the Bee’s Knees) but leans toward a Whiskey Sour with its lime brightness. The minted honey syrup adds freshness and depth, while bitters bring a subtle Old Fashioned–like finish.
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