Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/597666
132 / the tasting panel / november 2015 the the november 2015 november 2015 on Honey Swe et At NYC's Clover Club, honey cocktails shine, achieving a noteworthy nuance of flavor. All That BUZZ by Eva Pelczer / photos by Doug Young If you find yourself sipping a cocktail with an elusive, special "something"—a certain floral, or roundly nutty, or stone-fruit-tannic je ne sais quoi—there's a good chance it's made with honey. Bartenders are increasingly using this versatile ingredient, and discovering the broad honey spectrum as a new playground for mixology. Embracing honey cocktails early on, top New York City bartender Lacy Hawkins (Clover Club and the NoMad) has good reason to keep a few jars behind her bars. "I come from a family of beekeepers. We all harvest our honey together," she says. Hawkins kept active hives in her native Portland, OR, before moving to New York City. "The sweetness that honey lends in cocktails is extremely pleasing. It adds nothing but golden, warm notes to drinks that are just incredible."