Spiced Honey Vodka

This homemade Spiced Honey Vodka is warming and sippable. Perfect as a holiday gift or for cozying up in the winter, you'll want to drink a little of this sweetness every day.

Do you ever think about how our ancestors were walking around a little bit drunk all the time? Before safe, clean water was pumped into our homes (an absolute miracle, by the way) most people drank beer or cider pretty much all the time. I suppose children would drink milk if they could get it, but sometimes they'd also get beer. It kinda blows my mind.

I don't drink all that much myself, but especially in winter, a little warming libation can be most welcome. Flavoring spirits, wine, or cider with whole spices and letting it gently heat on the stove is definitely magic. It fills your home with the most comforting scents, and wrapping your cold hands around a warm steaming mug of something heady with spice is like a hug from Spirit. I'm into it.

What makes this recipe so awesome?

This Spiced Honey Vodka is going to be your new favorite evening drink. It's very sweet, so a little goes a long way, but the honey and caramel cancels out the sting of the vodka. It really just tastes like boozy honey, so you can drink it straight and take your time with it. There's also lemon zest, allspice, cinnamon, and clove infusing this mixture for an added hit of coziness.

This would make an absolutely delightful homemade holiday gift, but you'll definitely want to keep some for yourself. If you're not drinking it right after it's been made, just heat it on the stove or in the microwave until it just starts to steam. Then curl up with someone you really like under a blanket, maybe in front of a fire. And if that fireplace is just on YouTube, it's still so fun.

Magical Properties of Honey

Honey, like all things sweet, is used in witchcraft for attraction. You can add honey to any spell where you want to draw something in. A honey jar spell can be created for any purpose, but probably the most common is a honey love spell. Attract the partner that's best for you by adding botanicals like ginger or cinnamon to a jar of honey (may I suggest jasmine honey if you're looking for romance). You can also add safe crystals like rose quartz. Burn red or pink candles on or near your sealed honey jar to charge your spell, then picture your lover coming to you every time you eat the honey. (Source: Everyday Magic by Semra Haksever)

For more on the magical properties of ingredients in this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.

Tips for making Honey Vodka

This recipe really just involves measuring and heating. It's kind of all about patience. The one thing that will take a bit of your attention is the very first step where we melt sugar into a light caramel. If you've ever made caramel before, you know it's best not to stir it. It's really tempting to do so because the sugar can get all crystalized and scary looking, but just be patient. Swirl your pan from time to time, but don't stick a spoon or whisk in it. Then just keep an eye on the sugar and once it starts to turn amber, it's time to add the rest of your ingredients.

We'll gently pour in some just boiled water and drop in our whole spices and lemon zest and let it infuse for about five minutes. You can take it off the heat and leave the botanicals in for longer if you want a stronger flavor. Then you'll mix in your honey, bring it back to a simmer, but turn the heat off as soon as you see bubbles.

Off the heat, you'll add the vodka and some freshly squeezed lemon juice from the lemon you zested earlier. Then all that's left to do is strain it into a bottle and serve warm.

Whether you're sharing this with friends or keeping it all to yourself, this Spiced Honey Vodka is going to make your winter merry and bright. It's gonna be awesome.

Looking for more awesome drink recipes? Try a Blackcurrant & Lemon Cocktail or a Brown Elephant Amarula Cocktail.

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Recipe slightly adapted from Nigella Christmas by Nigella Lawson.

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