Oak-aged honey liqueur
A strong 40% honey liqueur made from wildflower honey and rested on toasted oak. A little peated Islay whisky brings the smoky, earthy note, and a short steep of coffee beans and cacao nibs adds the caramel, coffee and chocolate depth of a cask that once held dark beer. Treat the amounts as a starting point and tune them by taste.
- Vodka in
- 2 L (100 proof)
- Liqueur out
- about 2.5 L
- Strength
- roughly 40% ABV
- Start to bottle
- about 8 weeks
Shopping list
Amounts scale with the batch size above. The method text uses the 2 L amounts.
Botanicals to order online
| Got it | Botanical | Per batch | Product |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak cubes, medium toastQuercus (Hungarian oak) | 30 g | Hungarian medium toast oak cubes, 3 oz amazon.com/dp/B00AFF3C1E |
|
| Cacao nibsTheobroma cacao | 5 g | Navitas Organics cacao nibs, 8 oz amazon.com/dp/B000OQ4A3S |
Grocery store
Liquor store
Equipment
Know your botanicals
Oak cubes, medium toast Quercus (Hungarian oak)
Polish: kostki dębowe, średnio opiekane · 30 g
In the bag: dark brown 1 cm wooden cubes, charred on the edges, smelling of vanilla and toast
Brings: the barrel character, vanilla, toast and a gentle dryness
Check: food-grade oak sold for wine or beer making, medium toast
Cacao nibs Theobroma cacao
Polish: kruszone ziarno kakaowca · 5 g
In the bag: crunchy dark brown shards of crushed cacao bean, bitter chocolate smell
Brings: dark chocolate depth without sweetness
Check: unsweetened nibs, not "sweet nibs"
Method
The honey is loosened with a little warm water, never heated in the alcohol. Oak does most of the work over the next few weeks; coffee and cacao go in only for the last two days, and the smoky whisky is added at the end, a little at a time.
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Day 0
Loosen the honey
Warm the honey with 150 ml of water in a small saucepan, no hotter than 40 °C (104 °F), stirring until smooth. Skim off any foam and let it cool to room temperature. Keeping it this cool protects the honey's aroma.
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Day 0
Combine and add the oak
Stir the cooled honey water into the 2 L of vodka in the jar until no streaks remain, then add the oak cubes. Seal it, keep it dark, and shake it every few days.
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Weeks 2–6
Taste every week
Start tasting on day 14. Take the oak out when the vanilla and toast are clear but before it turns dry and woody, usually between 3 and 6 weeks.
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Last 2 days on oak
Add coffee and cacao
Tie the coffee beans and cacao nibs in the square of cheesecloth, hang the bundle in the jar for 48 hours at most, then lift it out together with the oak.
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Oak out
Add the smoke
Stir in 30 ml of the peated Scotch and taste. Add more 10 ml at a time, up to 50 ml, until the smoke sits in the background behind the honey.
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Next 1–2 weeks
Settle and filter
Honey leaves a fine haze. Let the liqueur stand undisturbed for a week or two, pour it off the sediment, and filter it through coffee filters.
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Then 2+ weeks
Bottle and rest
Bottle it and let it rest at least two weeks so the smoke, oak and honey come together.
Keep it safe
- Never heat the vodka or bring it near a flame; 100-proof spirit catches fire easily. Warm only the honey and water, and let them cool before mixing.
- Use food-grade oak sold for wine or beer making, never hardware-store wood, which may be treated.
- It tastes sweet but is as strong as vodka, so label the bottles with the strength.
Tuning the next batch
- Too woody or dry: take the oak out earlier next time, or use 20 g.
- Not smoky enough: add more Scotch, 10 ml at a time.
- Coffee too strong: steep the coffee and cacao for 24 hours instead of 48.
- Too sweet: stir in a little more 100-proof vodka.
To serve
Serve it at room temperature in a small tulip glass, or over one large ice cube. It goes well with a strong black coffee.