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This Bee Inspired Eastern Shore Honey and Lemon Vodka Cocktail is known as "The Stinger" or the "Eastern Shore Buzz." Start with your favorite vodka and add a little Eastern Shore Honey. Honey adds an all-natural sweetness and an impressive depth of flavor to your vodka cocktails. Since each honey tastes a little different based on what the bees pollinate, use your favorite! We suggest using Blackberry honey because it adds a fruity sweetness. On the Eastern Shore, we always try to make happy hour even more cheerful and experiment with different tastes.
We asked ourselves, "What's a great drink for the summertime?" Lemonade always comes to mind, but we wanted to give it more oomph. That's when we put on our mixologist hat and started crafting a lemon vodka cocktail that would be great for warm summer nights. The idea was to put a sweet twist on a classic lemon drop recipe. I mean, who would we be if we didn't add honey! We're busy people, so we kept this one simple (and clinked a toast after the shoot!). A candy rim adds drama and a sweet surprise!
This is one of my favorite cocktails for summer, and it is such an easy cocktail recipe to make! Featuring only four ingredients: honey, water, vodka and lemon juice. It tastes similar to a lemon drop martini, but the homemade honey syrup is a healthier substitute for simple syrup. When you mix the honey syrup with fresh lemon juice, it will taste just like lemonade. Just add the vodka, and you will have your new favorite cocktail - even better than the best lemon drops!
This cocktail isn't quite a vodka lemonade; Try a lemon twist.
It's a simple mixture of lemon juice, a shot of Tito's, and a drizzle of honey syrup for sweetness. No need for a super-sugary drink mixed packed with artificial sugar, colors, and flavors! It's sweet, but not too sweet, and just tart enough to be refreshing. Swirl your lemon vodka cocktail with a honey lollipop for a little more sweetness, if that's something that you like. Or garnish with a lemon crushed sugar lollipop rim. For an extra touch, use a lemon wedge for rimming the glass or as a garnish.
A crushed lollipop rim adds drama and fun.
We recommend making this cocktail fresh for the best flavor. It takes barely any prep time, so you can put it together as soon as you're ready for a drink instead of making ahead. Keep plenty of lemons on hand for when you have friends over and make a large batch for the occasion. The best citrus is Meyer lemons, which have a sweeter, less acidic profile than your regular California or Florida lemon. If you don't have Meyer lemons on hand, average California or Florida lemons will work just fine. Play with how much honey syrup you use to get just the right amount of sweetness. Enhance the flavor by adding lemon slices to your drink or using them in ice cube sticks.
How to Make a Lemon Vodka Cocktail with Fresh Lemon Juice
Step 1: Make the Honey Syrup
Heat up the water until it is warm. Stir in the honey until it is completely dissolved.
Step 2: Combine Ingredients
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the vodka, honey syrup, and lemon juice. Shake thoroughly to combine.
Step 3: Strain
Strain the mixture into a chilled martini glass or cocktail glass.
Step 4: Garnish & Serve
Garnish with a lemon twist and your fruit of choice (optional). Serve and Enjoy!
Serve in a prepared martini glass with a crushed honey lollipop sugar rim, or a lemon honey lollipop garnish for swirling fun.
Spice up this Lemon Vodka Cocktail - Simple Syrup Free
If vodka lemon cocktails aren't your thing, switch up your mixer and create something new! Any kind of citrus juice would be great in this cocktail, as would other summer fruits. Recipes are meant to be an inspiration. That's the way we see it. Don't feel like you have to make this Honey Vodka Cocktail exactly the way our recipe shows. Cocktail recipes are the perfect thing to experiment with based on your tastes. Try something different, or change it up based on the season. We have plenty of ideas in case you need a little boost with adapting this recipe - pretend you're a mixologist and have fun with this cocktail. Here are some ideas:
- Try using grapefruit, blood orange, or navel orange juice.
- Cucumber juice with seltzer would be a great mixer!
- Be bold and add vanilla, black pepper, or a botanical infusion to your cocktail.
- Add some blueberries or a combination of your favorite berries, and muddle them to add color and flavor.
- Use a fruity-flavored vodka if you don't like plain vodka. Choose a flavored vodka that pairs well with mint or the garnish of your choice.
- Can you imagine making tea with dried lavender and adding it to the mixer? That would be so good!
- Why not add a few slices of fresh sliced ginger to the mix?
- Garnish with a lemon twist for an elegant touch and a hint of lemon aroma.
- Add lemon zest to the rim of the glass or directly into the cocktail for added lemon flavor.
If you’re in the mood to experiment with cocktail hour try this Blossoms+Bourbon Cocktail or these Honey Mojitos!
So there you have it, our delicious and refreshing summer cocktail, sure to please! We hope you'll try making it at home and enjoy it as much as we do. Cheers!
