Recently, I have returned some of my attention to Honey Spirits. I’ve been friends with the team at Up North Distillery for many years and have collaborated with them in various ways since our first meeting. I feel fortunate to be at a point in my career where I can work with brands and individuals of my choosing. From the moment I met the founders of Up North and tasted Honey Spirits for the first time, I was both excited and pleasantly surprised.
Unlike rum, Honey Spirits do not keep the sweetness of honey, but keep the earthy and fruity nuances. The fermentation process removes most of the sweetness from honey, resulting in an intensely aromatic and nuanced flavor.
Honey spirits and mead are both made from honey, but they have key differences. The distillation of fermented honey (mead) creates honey spirits with a higher alcohol content and a less sweet, more concentrated honey flavor. In contrast, mead is a fermented honey beverage that can vary in sweetness, ranging from sweet to dry, depending on the recipe and fermentation process. Essentially, a honey spirit is a distilled version of mead.
Unaged Honey Spirits will remind you of a vodka with flavor and brightness. Barrel Aged Honey Spirits may remind you of a light whiskey. These spirits are intriguing and I hope we can shine the spotlight on this category a little brighter.
One of only six distilleries nationwide that manufactures spirits using 100% honey in the mash, Up North has been at the forefront of this pioneering category with a line of four Honey Spirits products. You may have heard of Caledonia Spirits. Caledonia Spirits, based in Hardwick, Vermont, distills Barr Hill Vodka 100% from honey.
The increasing popularity of spirits distilled entirely from honey has prompted several craft distillers to work together on establishing a definition and classification for these honey-based spirits. With American Single Malt Whiskey now recognized as an official whiskey category, there’s potential for Honey Spirits to receive similar official designation in the future. Only time will tell.
About The Distillery
Up North Distillery is located in the inland Northwest in a dreamy mountain prairie, Post Falls, Idaho, and is coming up on its ninth year in business. It is a "farm to flask" distillery using locally sourced honey, grains, and fruits to create unique small-batch craft spirits using copper pot distillation, resulting in flavors that showcase the unique terroir of Northern Idaho. All made with 100% Idaho honey.
Unaged Honey Spirits - 40% ABV/ 80 Proof
Barrel Finished Honey Spirits - Barrel-aged in American Oak, 40% ABV/ 80 Proof
Barrel Reserve Honey Spirits - This single-barrel spirit is aged in new charred Kentucky Oak Bourbon Barrels, 40% ABV/ 80 Proof
Cask Strength Honey Spirits - Aged in American Oak Barrels. Up North’s distiller hand selects the finest tasting barrels in our warehouse and bottles them at cask strength. Proof varies per release.
Honey spirits are fantastic for cocktails because of their unmatched versatility. Unaged honey spirits make a killer margarita and also create a fantastic martini. Barrel-aged honey spirits are excellent for Manhattans and Old Fashioneds.
Here are two Honey Spirits cocktail recipes that I love sipping in the winter:
Hive Mind
2 oz Barrel Reserve Honey Spirits
1 oz cinnamon syrup
2 dashes Bitter Housewife orange bitters
2 dashes Hella Mexican Chocolate bitters
Cinnamon stick
Method: grab a wood board and light the end of a cinnamon stick on fire with a BBQ lighter or culinary torch. It may not flame, which is okay, you just need it to smoke. Place it on the board and turn your rocks glass upside on top of it to cover the sick completely. The glass should fill with light smoke. Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir well. Strain the liquid into the smoked glass over ice.
Midnight Honey Manhattan
2 oz Barrel Aged Honey Spirits
.5 oz Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
.5 oz Fast Penny Amaricano Rossa
2 dashes Bitter Housewife Deadguy chicory bitters
Method: add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir well and strain into a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a dried lemon slice.
Check out Up North Distillery and try their Honey Spirits: upnorthdistillery.com
Cheers! Sailor
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