Hot Honey And Basil Gin Fizz

Lightly sweet, a bit of heat and the best herbal balance. This Hot Honey and Basil Gin Fizz is a perfect summer or spring happy hour treat. 

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Hot Honey and Basil Gin Fizz, it’s just so good and refreshing. It is the perfect spring or summer cocktail, and it is easy to make. Buy Hot Honey so you don’t have to make it, but truthfully it is simple and quick to make at home. I love sweet heat, especially in a cocktail. So the Hot Honey is a perfect addition to add a little something extra to the cocktail.

I created the Hot Honey and Basil Gin Fizz cocktail to pair with the Roasted Cauliflower with Burrata and Gluten Free Gnocchi. When creating the cocktail I figured basil would be an amazing choice. Not only is basil a perfect herb for cocktails, but also it adds immense flavor to Italian dishes. Also, being a bit of a flavor geek, I love basil because it is familiar but when fresh brings layers of flavor. I get floral components, slight citrus, some pepper and even a bit of anise. Then depending on the varietal of basil these flavors can vary even more drastically. Basil is amazing!

Basil also pairs perfectly with honey and lemon. So I knew I was going to add lemon to the cocktail, but the honey came in because I needed some sweetness to balance out the cocktail and I thought it would work so well with the burrata. When I don’t want an intense drink or I need to lighten up the cocktail for the food, I always add soda water. The carbonic acid from CO2 brings out a bit more bite and acidity. And adding some fizz on top livens up the whole experience. Since I wanted lively, it became a gin fizz. Seriously delicious and easy to make, give this Hot Honey Gin Fizz a try and don’t forget to pair it with the Roasted Cauliflower with Burrata and Gluten Free Gnocchi. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t need more burrata in their lives?

Hot Honey and Basil Gin Fizz Recipe Notes and Substitutions

Hot Honey Syrup– What is hot honey? It is just plain sweet honey with chili peppers to give it a bit of spice. The chili pepper can differ pending the manufacturer, but it is sweet heat and delicious! Check out this blog post by Southern Living to understand different ways to use hot honey. In the Hot Honey and Gin Fizz recipe I have a recipe to make the hot honey syrup at home. However, if you do not want to do that, buy hot honey. There are so many on the market today with different peppers, honey and spice levels. If using the store bought hot honey, add a little water to get it to dissolve into the cocktail easier. But more importantly, check it does not contain garlic! While it would be really good on food, garlic may not be what you want from this cocktail.

Basil Leaves– I use sweet basil for this cocktail or Genovese basil. It will be the most common one available. This is typically the basil I use in Italian cooking so it went perfectly in this cocktail. Can you sub out other varieties of basil? Yes. But if you are pairing it with the Roasted Cauliflower with Burrata and Gluten Free Gnocchi, sweet basil is the way to go. Don’t like basil or don’t have it? No worries! Rosemary would work well in its place. You could use mint, but it will become a completely different drink, still good. To learn more than you ever thought you would about basil, check out this post by Hobby Farm. I nerded out in the best way while reading it!

Gin– I like gin for this because the juniper, cucumber and lavender notes work perfectly with the honey and basil. Use your favorite gin for this. Can you substitute vodka? Absolutely! It would be great with vodka too. Any other substitutes? Tequila would change the flavor and make a new drink but it would work, same thing with white rum. But if you are pairing with the suggested food bite, stick with gin or vodka.

Soda Water– This makes the fizz. Use your favorite brand, whatever was on sale, or whatever you have on hand.

Vegan Option– If you do not want to use honey, use vegan honey to make the syrup! Or instead of honey and water, reduce down apple cider or pear juice with chili pepper into a thick syrup. Use that in place of the hot honey syrup.

Why this pairing works.

There are a couple reasons this Hot Honey and Basil Gin Fizz paired with Roasted Cauliflower with Burrata and Gluten Free Gnocchi work. First, the obvious, basil. Basil is a key ingredient in many Italian dishes. By adding it to the cocktail you are bridging the food and the drink. Creating a dual purpose for the basil, while also allowing the basil to enhance the flavors of the dish. Since basil works so well with the gnocchi and burrata it marries the food bite and the cocktail in a perfect way.

Next, the hot honey comes in with that sweet heat. Hot honey livens up the burrata by countering the creaminess with a bit of spice. The burrata tames the heat, while the chili gives some intrigue. Then the honey comes in with a beautiful sweetness that enhances the creaminess of the burrata even more. The hot honey also matches the earthiness of the roasted cauliflower in the best way too. Again by sweetening up and bringing out more of the caramelized sugar notes from the roasting process. Then bringing in heat for more playful characteristics.

Finally, why did I choose gin over vodka? A couple reasons. The juniper and lavender notes in gin bring a beautiful herbal quality that helps layer the flavors. These herbal notes also match with the basil so well by playing off its herbal and sweet qualities, enhancing the power but not overwhelmingly so. The juniper and lavender also pair so well with roasted cauliflower. These herbal notes work with the earthy cauliflower and again add depth to the whole profile. Finally, using gin and honey livens up the creamy burrata with an herbal sweetness that counters the creamy and lightly sweet burrata.

I could describe the flavor pairing for a while, but honestly sensory is best experienced. So make this pairing for yourself, or a date, and experience the magic of Roasted Cauliflower with Burrata and Gluten Free Gnocchi paired with the Hot Honey and Basil Gin Fizz.