Cumin Honey Is the Healthy Secret Ingredient Your Cocktail Needs

by Emily Laurence, September 3, 2018

Photo: Well+Good Creative

Summertime happy hours often call for vibrantly colored cocktails, garnished with little umbrellas. And hey, there's a time and place for a good daiquiri, but by this time in the season, chances are you've had your fill of overly sweet drinks. One way to sip on something a bit more savory while still keeping the summer spirit alive: a boozy botanical pineapple cocktail, made with a cumin honey blend.

"The Havana Honeybear is a sweet-and-savory blend of stone fruit, honey, Montenegro Amaro, and dry Amontillado Sherry," head bartender Brian Evans says of the cocktail he created and serves up at Williamsburg restaurant Sundays in Brooklyn. "It’s based off of a classic Cuban cocktail called the Hotel Nacional, consisting of white rum, pineapple, and apricot."

The result is tropical, without being too booze-cruise-y. "I wanted to give this a low-ABV [alcohol by volume], brunch-friendly makeover, so I swapped out the rum with the honeyed and orange bitterness of Montenegro Amaro, combined with the nuttiness of Amontillado Sherry," Evans explains. "Apricot and cumin are a classic fruit-spice pairing, so I took to infusing the honey with toasted cumin."

Besides brunch, Evans says this cocktail is a great drink to sip on after dinner, which is when Amaro and Sherry are typically served. Keep reading for the recipe and to watch a one-minute video to see how to shake one up.

Honey Havana Bear cockail

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Prep Time

5 minutes
Cook Time
Servings

serving

Ingredients

1/4 oz. apricot liqueur
1/2 oz. cumin-infused honey syrup
1/2 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. pineapple juice
1 oz. Amaro Montenegro
1 oz. Manzanilla Sherry
Crushed ice

Instructions

Recipe Notes

Here are some tips on how to buy the best honey possible. And check out these healthy versions of classic summer cocktails.