The Burns & The Bees

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Cocktail History

The Burns & The Bees is a modern cocktail that was created by Alex Sukopp, former bartender of Sips From Scripts, to accompany a jenga-style party game called Tipsy Tiles. In the description of her game, the creator Kirsten Schulz explains that its creative rules came to be over “many tequila-infused nights,” so this recipe calls for a poblano-infused tequila for the base, sweetened it with honey, and topped it with a spray of mezcal so it would be sweet, spicy, and a little bit smoky—just like the game.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Poblano Pepper-Infused Tequila: This is a type of tequila made with poblano pepper, unaged agave, and water. I used El Jimador Tequila Silver.

Triple Sec: This is a liqueur made with bitter oranges, lemons, sugar, and alcohol. I used Cointreau.

Raspberry Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with raspberries, sugar, and alcohol. I used Chambord Liqueur.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. I used freshly squeezed lime juice.

Honey Syrup: This is a sweetener made with honey and water. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

Hot Pepper Bitters: This is a spirit made with peppers, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Infuse Bitters Tres Amigos Bitters.

Mezcal: This is a spirit made in Mexico with agave, sugar, and alcohol that is aged in an underground pit lined with wood. I used Del Maguey Vida Mezcal.

Lime Slice: This is a slice of lime that has been cut into a half wheel shape.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Faint yellow color

• Aroma: Mezcal and pepper

• Taste: Noticeable sweet honey flavor balanced by salt, lime, and fruit

• Finish: Spicy pepper notes with lingering mezcal smokiness

Kendall’s Take: “Although it uses an unexpected mix of somewhat disparate flavors, I enjoyed this take on a tequila cocktail. I especially liked the twinge of spicy pepper that The Burns & The Bees left on my tongue and the way the fruit and honey mixed with the agave spirits.”

Recipe