RECIPE: THE HONEY B COCKTAIL (B STANDS FOR BOURBON)

This cocktail is perfect for almost any occasion and any season. It's simple enough for an impromptu get-together at home, a tailgate party or even elegant enough for a wedding. In fact, I made this cocktail for the wedding of my sweet friends Jenna and John way back in 2014. The couple gifted their guests with small bottles of John’s family’s prized honey as a wedding favor. The secret to this cocktail is the beautiful local honey. If you can't get exquisite local honey like this, any honey will work but may not yield the glorious rich taste or color.

THE HONEY B

Makes 2-3 cocktails

INGREDIENTS

4 ounces Four Roses Yellow Label Bourbon, room temperature

4 tablespoons local honey

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 cup unsweetened tea

Dash of orange bitters (find at most good grocery stores in the "adult beverage" aisle)

DIRECTIONS:

In a cocktail shaker or pitcher, add the bourbon and the honey, one tablespoon at a time. Stir or shake well to dissolve the honey before you add the next tablespoon so it all dissolves. If you do this with chilled liquid, the honey will seize up and make it difficult to dissolve.

You may also heat the lemon juice slightly and dissolve the honey in that before mixing everything together.

Add the remaining ingredients. Serve over ice. You may also add a bit more of the tea and serve this as a warm cocktail.

RECIPE: BUSHWACKER FROZEN COCKTAIL

Summertime… the time of year for a frozen cocktail on the deck, dock- or maybe just in the backyard. There are tons of frozen drinks to choose from but here in Alabama, the unofficial state cocktail is the Bushwacker. You can find them at many places around L.A. (Lower Alabama) and while the recipes are all a little different, the basics are the same: chocolate syrup, vanilla ice cream, and rum. While most places drizzle chocolate syrup inside the wall of the glass as seen in the photo from Sunset Pointe in Fairhope, Alabama on the left, the world-famous Flora-Bama does not add chocolate to the glass but adds the chocolate to the ice cream.

You can dress these up for a summer dessert with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Some places offer a “float” on top of 150 proof rum but proceed with caution as this takes the drink from fun to potent.

BUSHWACKER FROZEN COCKTAIL

Yield: 2-4 drinks, depending on the portion size

INGREDIENTS

1-pint vanilla ice cream, softened

1/2 cup half and half

1/3 cup chocolate syrup plus more to drizzle the glass

4 ounces light rum, chilled

1/2 ounce 150-proof rum on top, optional

Whipped cream, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Mix ingredients in a blender with a small amount of ice. Pour into glasses which have been drizzled with chocolate syrup, if using. Float the 150-proof rum on top, if using. Add whipped cream and more chocolate syrup or chocolate shavings, if desired.

COCKTAIL RECIPE: JUICY WATERMELON ECLIPSE

Weird that Facebook would send me a reminder about this cocktail today- originally published on this day in 2009- since today is the day the US will experience a full solar eclipse. Since many are celebrating the eclipse with viewing parties... here's the perfect cocktail!

I always have watermelon left over after a BBQ and this is a great way to use it. Made with Mount Gay Eclipse Rum but you can substitute another rum if you don't have it- but a golden rum tastes best. Since the fresh watermelon is the star of the show; use a big wedge or slice for garnish to make the presentation extra special. If your watermelon is super sweet, you can omit the simple syrup... or if you're without a heat source to make the simple syrup, add a bit of powdered sugar in lieu of simple syrup. It will dissolve faster than granulated sugar.

JUICY WATERMELON ECLIPSE

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ ounces Mount Gay Eclipse Gold Rum

Splash Grand Marnier

3-4 chunks fresh watermelon

1 ounce fresh lime juice

1 ounce fresh lemon juice

½ ounce simple syrup (recipe below)

Splash orange juice

DIRECTIONS:

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the watermelon well, making sure there are no seeds. Add the remaining ingredients and ice. Shake well and strain into chilled martini glasses.

Simple syrup: Bring equal parts water and sugar to a boil, allowing sugar to dissolve. Cool completely before adding to drinks.