[1] A bottle of Habanero Hot Honey Syrup has many uses in the kitchen. See them below (photos #1, #2, and #3 © Cheeky Cocktails).

[2] The two-ounce size makes tasty party favors and stocking stuffers.

[3] It’s time to bring back the Bee’s Knees gin cocktail—and make it spicy! The recipe is below.

[4] Make spicy caramel (photos #4 and #5 © National Honey Board).

[5] Glaze carrots.

[6] Use on pancakes, waffles, and French toast (photo © Colavita).

We’ve been playing with Cheeky’s Habanero Hot Honey Syrup all week. Infused with habanero chile peppers, it was created to add a spicy twist to cocktails.

But we’ve wandered afar from expressing our inner mixologist, using Habanero Hot Honey Cheeky sweet with everything from hot chocolate to ice cream and vinaigrette (see our list of adventures below).

Handcrafted with habanero chiles, honey, and water, and free from preservatives or artificial flavors, these shelf-stable syrups are also nifty gifties for home cooks and mixologists.

> Below: uses for Habanero Hot Honey Syrup.

> Also below: a Spicy Bee’s Knees cocktail recipe.

> The history of simple syrup.

> The history of honey.

> The history of chile peppers.

> The different types of chile peppers: a photo glossary.

> A year of chile pepper holidays.

> A year of honey holidays.

> A year of cocktail holidays.

> Check out things to do with Cheeky’s Decaf Espresso Syrup.
 
 
GET YOUR HABANERO HOT HONEY SYRUP

Bottles are available in 2-ounce (photo #2), 4-ounce (photo #1), 16-ounce, and 750ml/25.4-ounce sizes.

The small size is a great party favor or stocking stuffer.

While your on the website, CheekyCocktails.co (not .com), check out the other flavors and mixers, and gift sets.
 
 
USES FOR HONEY-HABANERO SIMPLE SYRUP

Habanero-infused honey simple syrup offers a wonderful balance of sweet and spicy that works in many applications.

Spicy Cocktails

 
Spicy Non-Alcoholic Drinks

 
Spicy Cooking

 
 
RECIPE: THE BEES KNEES COCKTAIL

The Bee’s Knees cocktail was created during Prohibition (1920-1933) in the U.S. Like many cocktails from this period, it was designed to mask the harsh taste of bathtub gin.

It was a version of the gin sour, substituting the richer, stronger honey syrup for simple syrup*.

The original creator’s name is lost to history. There’s a common belief that a famed bartender, Frank Meier, created the Bee’s Knees cocktail at the Hotel Ritz in Paris in the 1920s. But he was not the first to make it.

While Meier included a recipe for the Bee’s Knees in his 1934 book, The Artistry of Mixing Drinks, the cocktail was served in American speakeasies before then.

Why the name? Not only was the drink considered to be excellent (“the bee’s knees” in the slang of the day), but it contained honey.

The drink fell out of fashion after Prohibition but has enjoyed a revival during the craft cocktail renaissance of the 21st century. Now, it’s made with quality gin, and more people are disposed to natural honey as a sweetener than refined sugar.

Why can’t you use straight honey in the drink?

Straight honey is very thick and doesn’t mix easily into cold beverages. It needs to be made more fluid by diluting it with water. The typical ratio is 2 or 3 parts honey to 1 part water, stirred to a uniform consistency. (Any extra can be easily stored).

The conventional Bee’s Knees is made with traditional honey syrup. This version turns it into a Spicy Bee’s Knees.

If you’re not a gin lover, substituting Bourbon creates a Spicy Gold Rush.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake for 10-15 seconds and strain into a coupe or rocks glass.

2. GARNISH with a lemon twist.

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Instead of the conventional glass of wine poured while waiting to sit down for Easter dinner, how about a carrot cocktail?

This recipe is from Chef Richard Sandoval, proprietor of two haute Mexican restaurants in Manhattan we love: Maya and Tán.

The recipe follows, but first:

> The history of carrots.

> The history of cocktails.

> The history of Tequila.

> The different types of Tequila.

> All the carrot holidays.

> All the cocktail holidays.
 
 
RECIPE: TEQUILA & CARROT COCKTAIL

For the very best flavor—if you don’t have a juicer—purchase fresh carrot juice. Otherwise, our favorite brand is R.W. Knudsen (photo #3).

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. RIM the glass(es).

2. MUDDLE the cucumber coins in a shaker. Add the tequila, lemon juice, carrot juice, and simple syrup.

3. SHAKE and strain into the rimmed rocks glass. Garnish with a cucumber ribbon.
 
 
TAJÍN VS. SAL DE GUSANO: THE DIFFERENCE

Tajín and Sal de Gusano are both popular Mexican seasonings, but they’re quite different in ingredients, flavor, and how they’re traditionally used.

Tajín is a chili-lime seasoning blend made with dried chili peppers, dehydrated lime juice, and salt.

It’s tangy, citrusy, and mildly spicy and used to:

 
Sal de Gusano is worm salt. It’s a traditional Oaxacan seasoning made with toasted and ground maguey worms (the kind sometimes found in mezcal bottles), chiles (often pasilla), and sea salt.

It’s earthy, smoky, and, slightly spicy and used to:

 
 
HOW TO MAKE A CUCUMBER RIBBON

These are nice garnishes for savory cocktails, including the Bloody Mary, Gin & Tonic, Martini, Pimm’s Cup, Southside, Tom Collins, and most gin cocktails. Also great for sparkling or still water and spa water.

What You Need

 
Preparation

1. WASH the cucumber thoroughly, pat dry, and trim the ends off.

2. USE the vegetable peeler or mandoline to slice long, thin ribbons from top to bottom. Apply even pressure to get a full-length strip.

If the slices are too floppy, press deeper—but keep the thickness flexible to create the curled ribbon.

[1] Tequila and carrot juice cocktail (photo and recipe © Richard Sandoval Hospitality).

[2] Fresh-squeezed carrot juice is great in this recipe…(photos #2 and #4 by ChatGPT 2025-04-16).

[3] But you can always buy store bought. This is our favorite (photo © R.W. Knudsen).

[4] Making cucumber ribbons with a Y-shape peeler (photo Taste.com).

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[1] It’s easy to make frozen banana peanut butter bites for snacking or with after-dinner coffee (photo © Gelson’s).

[2] Start with ripe banana slices (photo © Eiliv Sonas Aceron | Unsplash).

[3] Add flavored PB for more pizzazz (photo © Peanut Butter & Co.).

[4] The original recipe used walnuts but we prefer pecans or pistachios (photo © Schermer Pecans).

With all the food holidays we celebrate each year, there is no Peanut Butter & Banana Day. Peanut Butter & Jelly, yes, Fluffernutter, yes. Why overlook the banana?

There’s always a PB&B (Peanut Butter & BANANA) sandwich for Elvis Presley’s birthday on January 8th. He liked it griddled (fried), adding butter—or likely, bacon fat—to the equation. NPR called it “The Sandwich That Helped Kill Elvis” [source].

In fact, it’s called the Elvis Sandwich, and he liked to add bacon (making it a PBB & B).

> Here’s the recipe.

Today, we have a slimmed-down version of bananas and peanut butter: Frozen Peanut Butter & Banana Bites. The recipe follows, but first:

> The history of peanut butter.

> The history of bananas.

> All the peanut butter holidays.

> All the banana holidays.

> All the peanut holidays.

> A Peanut Butter Banana Dessert Cocktail recipe to go with your frozen bites.
 
 
RECIPE: FROZEN PEANUT BUTTER & BANANA BITES

Thanks to Gelson’s for the recipe.

Ingredients For The Banana “Sandwiches”

 
For the Chocolate Coating

 
For Garnish and Storage

 
Preparation

1. PEEL and slice 3 large ripe bananas into ¼”-thick rounds. ⁠Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2. SPREAD ½ teaspoon peanut butter on one banana slice and top with a second slice, pressing gently to create a peanut butter sandwich. Place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining banana slices.

3. FREEZE for 1 hour, or until hardened.⁠ In a small saucepan over low heat…

4. COMBINE the chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon coconut oil, stirring frequently, until completely melted, 2 to 3 minutes.⁠

5. CAREFULLY DIP half of each sandwich into the melted chocolate, using a fork. Place the dipped sandwich back on the baking sheet and garnish each with a pinch of finely chopped walnuts. ⁠

6. FREEZE for 1 hour more, or until completely frozen. Enjoy cold or store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.⁠
 
 
> For more frozen delights, check out our photo glossary, Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts.

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