NEVER UNDERESTIMATE the seductive power of a sly little lick of the lips. And why not give that serpentine tongue of yours some extra motivation this month by sipping on drinks that are sweetened - and sexified - with honey? Warmly luscious and as complex as Scorpio-on-Scorpio action, honey is the latest in a string of natural ingredients that have cocktail mavens, well, buzzing. A hint of fruity, clover overtones gives honey multi-layered characteristics that add just enough flavor to your drink without overwhelming the palate. Bartenders all over the city are picking up on honey's versatility and earthy charm, and it's quickly gaining ground on simple syrup as Boston's favorite sweetener.
Sweet and spicy are the perfect pair - and nobody knows that better than bar manager Jonathan Henson at Great Bay (500 Comm Ave, Boston, 617.532.5300), who admits to "having a love affair with honey." This oft-overlooked Kenmore Square spot has modern sophisticate written all over it: a vertebrae of warm track lighting slithers along the ultra-high ceiling, while suspended installation art looks like slivers of iridescent water chestnuts. And the drinks - oh, the drinks. A seasonally spicy ode to summertime refreshment - and quite possibly one of the best cocktails in town - is the Remedy ($12), made with Bulleit bourbon, lemonade, honey, and a healthy pinch of cayenne pepper. The aptly-named beverage is the perfect cure for the wintertime blahs.
Also at Great Bay, don't let the seemingly kooky ingredients list for the East Meets South of the Border ($12) fool you: the cocktail is as smooth as Cancun sand. A warm pool of espresso, Sauza Tres Generaciones, and honey lay the foundation for a mouthful of freshly made, sake-infused whipped cream. No split-personality drink here: the flavors mesh impeccably, with the cream's floral bouquet nicely balancing that ruthless tequila bite, and honey sweetening the deal. "I create every drink I make by taking the flavors of the base liquor and looking for complements," says Henson. "Tequila is woodsy; I wanted to take a different approach to it by using sake. Honey rounds out the flavors and softens the drink."
When we first learned of Newbury's newest restaurant and watering hole, we got a little nervous. After all, with a name like Cafeteria (279A Newbury Street, Boston, 617.536.2233), we were expecting to make an awkward entrance and be immediately transformed into our uncomfortable seventh-grade selves. But despite its trendiness, Cafeteria is wholly inviting. Here, bar manager Steven Kim offers the Golden Honeytini ($12), a confection of Stoli Vanil, honey, Grand Marnier, and amaretto, served in a glass that's rubbed with lime and rimmed with sugar. In fact, the citrus rim is what really gives this drink its character; instead of being sickly sweet, the Golden Honeytini has some tarty sass, due to that wonderful marriage of honey and lime.
A marriage of cultures is what defines the newly rejuvenated Mantra (52 Temple Place, Boston, 617.542.8111). The club/restaurant features French-Indian cuisine and cocktails, but new general manager Demetri Tsolakis is putting his stamp on things, one tinyinfluence at a time. Tsolakis was a child of the restaurant industry: his family owns three Greek restaurants in his native Springfield, and he pretty much grew up in the kitchen. So it's no surprise that he's sneaking some Greek inspiration onto the Mantra menu. Honey is a key ingredient in some Greek cuisine (especially baklava, which fuses honey and pastry into a dense slice of heaven), so it naturally found its way onto the cocktail list. The Madhu ($12) - cutely rechristened the Bee Mine for the month of February - starts with a cocktail glass drizzled with honey, and finishes with a homemade honey-cinnamon-stick garnish. In between, Belvedere vodka meets fresh lime juice, resulting in a richer, sweeter gimlet.
Though grapes usually make their evening appearance in a wine glass, the Muddled Grape Martini ($9) at the West Side Lounge (1680 Mass Ave, Cambridge, 617.441.5566) is a refreshing break from the vino. Muddled green grapes bathe in Ciroc vodka with honey syrup and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice; the result is simple, refreshing, sweet, and sour. And just like wine, the Muddled Grape pairs quite nicely with food, especially fish. Try it with the West Side's perfectly pan-seared salmon with haricots verts and whipped potatoes ($18).
Over at Green Street (280 Green Street, Cambridge, 617.876.1655), queen of the classic cocktail Misty Kalkofen sweetens and sparkles Haitian spirits with the Rhum Cup ($8.50), a subtly fruity blend of cava, Barbancourt Rhum, fresh pineapple juice, and honey syrup. It's a taste of the islands in the middle of the city, and a much-needed cold-weather oasis on the most blustery of urban evenings. @
[Photo by Joel Veak]
