five in the hive

3/4 oz Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Pimm's No. 1
3/4 oz Rittenhouse Rye
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

A short while ago, I was sent a sample of Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur. Instead of giving an in depth description of the liqueur's history, just do what I did and read the Pegu Blog's entry about it. One thing that impressed me about their PR firm was that besides the stock recipe booklet attached to the bottle which contained more basic drinks focused on vodkas and schnapps, they included a sheet with some serious recipes. Turns out that the list's cocktails were the finalists for a New York City-based Bärenjäger Bartending Contest, and the recipes seemed innovative and included Bols Genever, Fernet Branca, Cynar, and sherry in their ingredients.
The recipe I chose last night was created by Meaghan Dorman of Raines Law Room bar in Manhattan and of the Spirit Me Away blog. The Five in the Hive had a rye and lemon flavor in the front of the sip followed by honey at the end. The Bärenjäger itself had a glorious honey or mead aroma to it and tasted like 1 part honey to 2 parts vodka (perhaps with other botanicals in the mix) with an end product akin to a 70 proof honey syrup. These honey flavors paired up nicely with the Pimm's and served as a good balance to the rye's spice and the citrus' bite. We had this drink along with dinner, and Andrea commented that it made for a rather "nice food cocktail".