2024 Experience Scottsdale Visitors Guide - 112

Worth the Buzz
BY CHRISTINA BARRUETA
H
oney is a natural ingredient that
has been prized for centuries,
not only for its sweetness, but also for its
health benefits that include antioxidant
properties and immune support. Arizona's
diverse landscape influences flavors such
as mesquite, wildflower, orange blossom,
acacia and desert blue clover, and in cocktails,
it serves as a versatile alternative to
processed sugar. Here are some creative
ways Scottsdale's talented bartenders are
incorporating honey into their cocktails.
" TELL YOUR FRIENDS "
The House Brasserie
At this charming Old Town restaurant
occupying a historic home built in 1939,
Beverage Director Richard Allison helms
a stellar cocktail program. For " Tell Your
Friends, " he uses local mesquite honey,
harvested from the blossoms of the mesquite
tree, and infuses it with turmeric
before blending it with a split base of
tequila and mezcal, passion fruit liqueur
and lime juice. " It complements the
different seasons of Arizona, " says Allison.
" The mesquite flavors of the honey enhance
the smoky agave notes of tequila and mezcal,
and the passion fruit balances the
cocktail out and brightens it up. "
" ZOMBIE "
Toro at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
" Since we have so many out-of-state
visitors, we wanted to do a Southwest
variation with local ingredients, " explains
112 ExperienceScottsdale.com
Senior Beverage Manager John Wilhelm,
who accents this tiki classic with prickly
pear purée and mesquite honey. Combined
with three different styles of rum
- Jamaican, Barbados and a spiced rum
- along with falernum, grapefruit juice,
lime juice and Angostura bitters, the
honey provides a mellow sweetness that
complements the vibrant tropical flavors.
" It has a different sweetness and viscosity
and just combines so well with the other
ingredients, " Wilhelm notes.
" VERSACE ON THE FLOOR "
The Americano
" Aside from helping with your immune
system, honey is more complex and has
more depth and flavor than a simple
syrup, " says bar lead Holly Achs. For this
best-selling cocktail at celebrity chef Scott
Conant's restaurant, vodka is infused with
Serrano peppers and Fresno chiles and
shaken up with mesquite honey, lime juice
and Sonoran Olive Oil Company's coconut
white balsamic vinegar before being
topped with a cap of velvety egg white
whipped with basil and olive oil. " It has
lots of layers of flavors and complexity, "
notes Achs, " and using honey adds earthiness
and a bit more body to the drink. "
" CITRONETTE "
Course
An artful blend of gin, orange blossom
honey, yellow chartreuse, and fresh grapefruit
and mandarin juices, the Citronette
was created to evoke an oceanside
vacation, says General Manager Nicholas
Padua, who curates the beverage program.
Crowning the libation is a stunning salt
and kombu foam. " We use Sheringham
Seaside Gin, which has a really fresh zing
of citrus but is also made with kelp, " says
Padua. " The bubbles on top of the drink
have sea salt and kombu seaweed for
savoriness and salinity, so it's like you're
coming up from the ocean and drinking a
refreshing citrus cocktail. I love honey as a
sweetener, and it also naturally has umami
characteristics that combine so well with
the seaweed in the gin and the foam. "
" HONEY HARVEST SOUR "
Arboleda
Head bartender Richie Moe celebrates
honey three ways in this delicious libation
by mixing London dry gin with orange
blossom honey syrup and a sweet-andsour
honey oleo saccharum (a syrup made
by extracting the oils from citrus peels
with granulated honey crystals), before
garnishing with bee pollen. " I absolutely
love honey and gin, " says Moe. " It's a classic
pairing. " To enhance this combination,
he uses WorldClass Clementine Earl Grey
tea blended with orange blossom, bergamot
and clementine before shaking with
egg white and decorating with a tangy
Aleppo chile and red wine vinegar shrub,
Aleppo chile flakes and bee pollen. " Using
honey three ways adds a lot of depth and
complexity, " he notes.
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