Bushmills Irish Honey

Though I don't tend to do this very often, I like going out to other bars and checking out their selection to see what they might have that we don't carry at our bar. It gives me a chance to sample some new and interesting liquors. Sunday was no different. I met up with Johnny and Jenn at Forum and Johnny had the bartender, John Paul, serve us a round of Bushmills Irish Honey shots. When he said Bushmills Irish Honey I took a double take.

I know honey seems to be the go-to ingredient this year in terms of alcohol. In terms of whiskey and bourbon, both Jack Daniels and Wild Turkey have their own honey versions (which I have samples of and will get to them soon). But to be quite honest, I never would have thought an Irish Whiskey distiller would make a honey version of one of their distinctive products. Then again, I guess all the distillers need to keep up with the proverbial Joneses and separate themselves from the pack with new and innovative products. I'll give Busmills credit, this is definitely something unique.

I took a smell of the shot and have to admit, I really couldn't smell the honey but I could get some slight sweet notes. I could definitely smell the Bushmills. The shot swirled around the glass with ease since it wasn't very viscous. Upon tasting the liquid I was pleasantly surprised. Before I go any further here's a a little disclosure: I'm not a Whiskey connoisseur. I like some now and again but I have yet to develop the nose and palate to properly dissect what separates the quality whiskeys from the bad ones. Baby steps. So someone like fellow blogger Josh Feldman of The Coopered Tot or Grahama and Joanne of The Perfect Whiskey Match would definitely have a more in-depth point of view on a product like the Bushmills Irish Honey. Hopefully I'll try to get their opinions on the Bushmills Irish Honey. Back to the Irish Honey.

The shot had a nice mild honey taste to it. It seemed to take some of the harshness away from the Bushmills. Now, as my friend Joe said to me when I told him that, the harsh kick is what Bushmills is about. Why would you want to take that away? To be honest, I don't know. Maybe to bring the amateurs like me into the fold? LOL. I have to admit I liked it. Not sure how many of those I can do in a night but I think I have an idea in which the Bushmills Irish Honey can be used in a cocktail.

I think using the Bushmills Irish Honey in a cocktail like the Michael Collins and eliminating the sugar that your traditional Collins would take. Here is my take on the Michael Collins:

Honey Michael Collins
2oz Bushmills Irish Honey Whiskey
1oz fresh lemon juice
3oz club soda

In a shaker half-filled with ice cubes, combine the honey whiskey and lemon juice. Shake well. Strain into a Collins or Pint glass almost filled with ice cubes. Add the club soda. Stir and serve.

If you want to know more about the Bushmills Irish Honey, go to their website. They have a couple of recipes for the Bushmills Irish Honey. Give it a taste.

Until then Happy Drinking,
Sisco Vanilla