FIG’s Bee’s Knees Riff

RECIPE: Ashley Dods for FIG, Charleston, South Carolina

Photo: Courtesy of FIG Restaurant

March 12, 2021

Bärenjäger and Drambuie bring warmth and spice to this twist on the classic.

Ashley Dods and the bar team at FIG in Charleston originally concocted a spiced version of the German honey-flavored liqueur Bärenjäger for a wintry Hot Toddy. “We’d been creating riffs on classic cocktails as part of our cocktail list for a while, and when spring came around we wanted to bring in a more seasonally appropriate classic to lighten and brighten up that list,” says Dods. “The warm-spiced honey liqueur was a great way to put a twist on one of our favorite classic cocktails featuring honey—Bee’s Knees!” Combining Bärenjäger with a splash of Drambuie, a scotch-based spirit, the riff “really reinforces the honey and spice notes and adds a little oomph to the classic,” Dods says.

Ingredients

2 oz. London dry gin
3⁄4 oz. spiced Bärenjäger
1⁄2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1⁄4 oz. of Drambuie

Tools:shaker, strainer
Glass:rocks
Garnish:thinly sliced lemon wheel

Preparation

Combine all of the ingredients in a shaker. Add ice to the shaker and shake vigorously, then fine strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice and garnish with a thinly sliced lemon wheel tucked into the glass.

Spiced Bärenjäger: Place a 750 ml. bottle of Bärenjäger in the freezer and chill for at least one hour. Assemble a water bath and set it to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Vacuum seal the chilled Bärenjäger, 2 cinnamon sticks, 10 cloves, 4 juniper berries, and half a star anise in a large vacuum bag. Add the sealed bag to the water bath: wait for the bath to reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit again, then cook for 2 hours. Afterward, remove the vacuum bag and place it in an ice bath to cool for 20 minutes. Strain the liqueur through a coffee filter and into a sealable container. Store the spiced liqueur refrigerated for up to 2 months.