June Spirit of the Month: Tullamore DEW Honey, your secret cocktail weapon this summer

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Like the weather it's getting hot, and so is our bar. Lighter, sweeter spirits and mixers come to the fore, while the dark liquor hibernates until fall. However, every spring we're usually looking for something new to work into our warm-weather cocktails—a fresh ingredient to make things more interesting. This year, this new addition is Tullamore DEW Honey.

We almost always turn our noses up at flavored spirits, but Tully Honey's potential as a cocktail ingredient—and its simple, natural flavor—won us over. If you're looking to freshen up your cocktail arsenal this summer, pick up a bottle Tully Honey for about $20-$30 (available on Total Wine here for $19.99.

Tullamore DEW Honey was first released in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany and Bulgaria in 2021, but this year it finally landed in the U.S. Bottled at 35%, it's technically a liqueur that starts as Tully's original blend from pot, malt and grain whisky, which is then infused with Bohemian honey. Tullamore DEW says the difference between its honey product and other similar releases is in the honey sourcing. “We combine our whiskey with natural honey sourced from Bohemian hives in the Czech Republic, which is known to have the best honey in the world,” says US Ambassador Clodagh Mai O'Callaghan. “We are told that they are the happiest bees in the world who make the best honey in the world.”

The resulting liquid it is one of the only great spirits we have tasted. The honey is immediately noticeable, adding a warm sweetness to the whiskey. But it's very subtle, and you still get some spice and vanilla from the base whiskey. In short, it has taste real — probably because, unlike some flavored alcoholic beverages, the ingredients in this product they are real.

Where Tully Honey where it really shines is in the cocktails. Since it's already essentially two ingredients – whiskey and honey – you can easily make fresh cocktails without bothering with other sweet ingredients. Here are some of our favorite cocktails to make with whisky, as suggested by Tullamore DEW Global Ambassador Kevin Pigott:

Gold Rush

Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice.
Shake and strain into an ice-filled glass.
Garnish with a lemon.

Tully Mule

Mix whiskey and lemon juice in a mug filled with ice.
Pour over ginger beer and garnish with a lime wedge.

Auld Fashioned

Add the ingredients and mix, garnish with an orange twist.