The Burns & The Bees

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy here.

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 Tequila: This is a type of tequila made with fermented blue agave and yeast, which are distilled and then infused with poblano peppers to develop a spicy, tropical flavor.

Triple Sec: This is a liqueur made with bitter orange peels, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a sweet, bright citrus flavor.

Raspberry Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with raspberries, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a sweet-tart, berry flavor.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe limes that has a zesty, sour flavor and light green color.

Honey Syrup: This is a sweetener made with honey and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a sweet flavor.

Hot Pepper Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with peppers, herbs, spices, botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop a spicy, slightly bitter flavor.

Mezcal: This is a spirit made in Mexico with fermented agave and yeast, which are distilled after roasting agave hearts in underground pits to develop a smoky, complex flavor.

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