Honey Grapefruit Bourbon Smash

A few years ago we had dinner at the lovely Water Club on the river. While we were waiting in the bar for our friends to arrive the bartender offered to make us a special cocktail. As a general rule, we never turn down an offer to sample what the bartender thinks is good but sadly, this time we were disappointed. He made us a honey and lemon drink that, frankly, tasted like a cough drop, and it put me off the idea of using honey in drinks. But enough time has passed so that I've gotten over that medicinal taste and decided to see if I can do better.

I realized that both for taste and consistency, I needed to make a honey syrup whereas he just used straight honey from the jar. Same process as a simple sugar syrup and the honey stays blended. As for the citrus, I took a page from the famous Brown Derby cocktail by using grapefruit but muddled in some fresh rosemary.

The combo of the bittersweet fruit, sweet honey and savory herb was perfect and I'm a honey lover once again. Cheers!

Per Serving:
1 1/2 oz. Bourbon
2 oz. Grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. Honey syrup
Leaves from one sprig of rosemary

Honey Syrup:
Equal parts honey and water
Pinch of salt

Make the honey syrup by combining equal parts honey and water in a pot with the salt. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes until the honey dissolves. Let cool and keep in a lidded jar in the refrigerator.

To make the cocktail, add the bourbon, grapefruit juice, honey syrup and rosemary to a cocktail shaker. Muddle the rosemary using a muddler or a wooden spoon. Fill with ice, shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary or wedge or grapefruit, if desired.