Secret ingredient: Chamomile

The ins and outs of our favorite cocktail ingredients.

Secret ingredient:
Chamomile

A favorite of:
Andrew Wind, bar manager at Cardinal Spirits

Why it's worth it:
Chamomile is light and floral, with a wonderful fragrance, Wind says. It's a simple, subtle way to change things up.

How to use it:
Wind makes a chamomile-honey syrup for a Bees Knees, a classic cocktail with gin, lemon and honey (recipes below). The syrup tempers the tartness of the cocktail, and the chamomile is the little twist that makes the drink taste special. You can easily adjust the syrup's sweetness.

The syrup is also awesome in:
Hot or iced tea (especially green tea)
Any dessert/treat you would want to add a nice floral touch to
On top of pancakes and waffles!
 

CHAMOMILE HONEY SYRUP
Makes 1 cup

2 ounces chamomile (ours comes from Bloomingfoods)
1 cup cold water
1 cup local honey (more or less to taste)

Add chamomile and cold water to a mason jar.
Cold infuse for 3-4 hours, lightly shaking jar every 30 minutes or so.
Strain off liquid into another jar, removing chamomile (it will become too bitter if kept for too long).
In a saucepan, combine chamomile water and honey.
Heat on stovetop until melted and incorporated, then let cool. Keep refrigerated.

BEES KNEES
Makes 1 cocktail

2 ounces Cardinal Spirits American Gin
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce Chamomile Honey Syrup
Lemon peel, for garnish

Add all ingredients to shaker over ice.
Shake shake shake.
Strain into glass.
Garnish with lemon peel.