most bee stings hurt. this one titillates. my younger brother once got stung by a bee right between his eyebrows and the swelling was so ghastly i cried when i saw him. this bee sting, though, uses its power for good. a bad sort of good, which is this best good of all. i toyed with calling this drink the benevolent bee sting, but the little twist of something vicious makes the name not quite fit.
the bee sting starts with a hefty supply of citrus. the recipe is not meant to be binding. i made mine with juice from meyer lemons, limes, and valencia oranges. i can only imagine favorable effects by substituting tangerines, eureka lemons, mexican limons, tangelos, mandarin oranges, or anything ripe and juicy that you can get your hands on.
at first the bee sting is intensely refreshing--all that eye-popping, mouth-puckering, tongue-tingling citrus. but there, barely audible at the back of your throat, is heat cloaked in sweetness. the sting is homemade chile-infused honey, lifted up by a rift of ginger ale and a bunch of bubbles from a quick pour of san pelligrino. round it out (or bring it down) with a shot (or more) of vodka, if you please. just know, the only salve for a bee sting is more bee sting.
the bee sting
(serves 4)
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon red chile flakes
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
12 ounces ginger ale
12 ounces sparkling water
6 ounces vodka (optional)
place the honey, red chile flakes, and 1/4 cup of water into a small saucepan set over medium heat. as soon as the mixture begins to boil, remove the saucepan from heat. allow the honey to steep for 3o minutes, then pour it through a fine mesh sieve into a clean cup or bowl. discard the chile flakes.
mix the lemon, lime, and orange juices together in a pitcher. add the chile-infused honey and stir to combine. divide the mixture evenly among 4 ice-filled glasses. divide the vodka (if using) evenly among the glasses. top each with a splash or two of ginger ale and sparkling water to your taste. stir each drink gently to combine.
notes
* this recipe was adapted from eric ripert in his book, avec eric