Tequila Honey Bee

One of the most popular cocktails from NYC’s Egg Shop, this recipe can also be found in beverage director Nick Korbee’s new book Egg Shop: The Cookbook.

¼ oz. mezcal, for glass rinse
2 oz. añejo or reposado tequila
1 oz. cardamom-honey syrup
¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Tools: shaker
Glass: Collins
Garnish: lemon peel

Rinse a Collins glass with mezcal. In a shaker, combine the tequila, syrup, lemon juice and ice and shake well. Pour the contents of the shaker into the prepared glass. Add ice and stir to incorporate. Put 2 dashes of bitters on top of the drink, then garnish.

Cardamom-Honey Syrup
1 cup wildflower honey
1 cup piping-hot water
10 green cardamom pods

Combine the honey, hot water and cardamom pods, then stir to combine. Allow the mixture to steep for 24 hours. Strain out the cardamom pods. Keeps for 2 weeks when stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

Scale up for a crowd: This is one of the easiest ratios to remember: 2 parts tequila, 1 part lemon juice and 1 part cardamom honey syrup. Use mezcal and Angostura bitters as the variables to adjust the aromatics and smoke to your liking. This tastes great frozen too—just blend with ice and serve. Otherwise pour it over crushed ice as you would a julep.

Reprinted with permission from Egg Shop: The Cookbook, by Nick Korbee. William Morrow Cookbooks.

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