Honey vodka is a blend of honey and vodka. While vodka on its own has a relatively neutral taste, honey vodka is sweeter and richer in flavour. It works just as well in a vodka and soda or mixed drinks as it does on its own.
What Is Honey?
Let's begin with honey. Honey is a thick, golden liquid produced by industrious bees using the nectar of flowering plants. It is as old as history itself, dating back to 2100 B.C. We know this because it was mentioned in the sacred writings of India and Egypt.
Types of Honey
Not all honey is the same. There are many varieties of honey. The colour, taste, smell, and even texture will vary between varieties. The five main types of honey are:
- Acacia
- Alfafa
- Chestnut
- Orange blossom (this is the type of honey we use to make our Beeble Honey Vodka)
- Sage
Honey has long been known for its healing properties. In fact, the Romans used honey to heal their wounds after battles. Hannibal, a great warrior, gave his army honey and vinegar as they crossed the alps on elephants to battle Rome. Even today, many products such as face creams, deodorants, and shampoos contain honey.
What Is Vodka?
The word 'vodka' comes from the Slavic word ‘voda’, which translates as water. The K was then added to indicates smallness. This is the equivalent to similar to adding a -y or -let in English, for example TinY or dropLET. So word for word, Vodka translates as ‘little water’. This makes sense as it is known as the most neutral of all the spirits.
Vodka is a clear spirit that originated in Russia, and is typically 40% alcohol by volume. Interestingly, before vodka was consumed as an alcoholic beverage, it was widely used for medicinal purposes, as well as for cosmetics and cleaners. Today, you will find vodka used in cocktails such as the popular Moscow Mule, Cosmopolitan and Skinny Bitch.
How Is Vodka Made?
Unlike many other spirits, there are no set regulations and laws governing the production of vodka. However, most vodka are made from corn, rye, wheat, or any other grain that the distiller chooses to use. Making vodka from potatoes is also popular. This may surprise you as vodka is known for having low calories and being a go-to spirit for health-minded drinkers.
Vodka is then distilled. The more times vodka is distilled the more impurities are removed. This is why some brands advertise the number of times their vodka has been distilled on their label as a mark of purity. Smirnoff Vodka is known for having been distilled 10 times to give it its smoothness!
After distillation, vodka is filtered, often through charcoal. Vodka requires no ageing and is ready to drink right away.
Beeble Honey Vodka
Beeble Vespa Morta is where the smoothest British wheat vodka meets the most sustainably sourced British raw honey.
As with all our spirits, we only use honey sourced from our very own Wiltshire beehives. Our vodka is a triple-distilled, wheat grain vodka that is all procured, distilled and produced on British shores.
The secret honey recipe and the vodka are harmoniously brought together over a four week infusion process that bonds the honey to the vodka. The outcome is matrimony between two star-crossed lovers – the honey and the vodka (the bees and the wasps).
Vespa Morta meaning “Dead wasp” is a sentiment that is close to our hearts. Although wasps can be good pollinators too, they are too often a nuisance in stealing honey from our bees...
