Cocktail Atlas

Herbal Honey Sour

A gin sour sweetened with honey and fresh herbs.

Cocktail Atlas · Updated

Spirit
Gin
Glass
Coupe glass
Method
Shaken
Difficulty
Intermediate

Riff on: Whiskey Sour

Jump to recipe
A hand holding a pink-orange sour over ice in a rocks glass, in front of a bottle of Knob Creek and a jar of honey

Herbal Honey Sour

Ingredients

Ingredients for Herbal Honey Sour. Tick each one as you add it.
AddedMeasureIngredient
2 oz
¾ oz
½ oz
, thyme, basil

Steps

  1. Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled coupe glass.
  2. Garnish with a herb sprig.

Garnish Herb sprig

cocktailatlas.com/cocktail/herbal-honey-sour/

Pin it (opens Pinterest in a new tab)

Batch it For a party of 4–20

Makes 8 drinks, about 32½ oz · 975 ml before ice.

Herbal Honey Sour batch
AmountIngredient
16 oz · 480 mlGin
6 oz · 180 mlLemon Juice
4 oz · 120 mlHoney Syrup
Fresh Herbs
6½ oz · 195 mlCold water, for dilution (approx.)

The water stands in for the melt from shaking: about 25% for a shaken drink. It is an approximation, so taste and adjust. Chill the batch at least 2 hours and pour over fresh ice.

Fits a 1 liter bottle or carafe.

Made it?

Ratings appear once 5 people have rated this drink.

Why it works

Gin’s botanicals and fresh thyme or basil are a natural pairing, and honey syrup adds a floral sweetness that ties them together. Three-quarters of an ounce of lemon keeps the drink bright. Shaking the herbs with ice releases their oils, and straining into a coupe leaves the leaves behind.

Substitutions

  • Rosemary or sage work in place of thyme and basil.
  • Simple syrup works in place of honey syrup.
  • Add an egg white for a silky texture.

Variations

Questions

How many herbs should be used?
A small sprig of thyme or 3–4 basil leaves. Too much tastes grassy.
Should the herbs be muddled?
Shaking is usually enough. Muddle gently if a stronger herb flavor is wanted.

Making it: Herbal Honey Sour

Gather

    More like this

    More gin cocktails →