Homemade Honey Whiskey Recipe

Make Homemade Honey Whiskey liqueur that tastes even better than store-bought. Sip it on the rocks or use it to make hot toddies and other whiskey cocktails.

The cool autumn weather is here, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

It brings with it all the best things: color-changing leaves, warm scarves, spiced lattes! It’s just the best.

And along with all of that good stuff, autumn also brings the worst thing: colds.

Whenever I’m sick, I am all about the home remedies.

Whether it’s a warm cup of tea or a hot toddy before bed, it’s always so nice to snuggle up with something warm.

I can definitely relate this back to my childhood.

Whenever I had a cold as kid, my mom used to serve me a very strict menu of saltine crackers, chicken noodle soup and some kind of Jell-O. Before bed, she would often make me a weak hot toddy.

She called it her “homemade cough syrup” and it consisted of equal parts lemon juice, honey and whiskey. Usually just a tablespoon of each was perfect for sipping on before falling asleep, to stave off the inevitable nighttime coughs.

To this day, I’ll still make myself something similar when I’m sick. Maybe it’s just the nostalgia giving me a placebo effect, but it always seems to help a little!

Nowadays I’m into making my own homemade honey whiskey to keep on hand. It means one less thing to measure out when it’s time for a hot toddy, but it’s also great in all kinds of cocktails.

The process is easy. Make “runny honey,” which is a simple syrup that uses honey, rather than sugar, for the sweetening agent. It takes less than five minutes on the stove.

Then mix it with your choice of whiskey. I store mine in a mason jar, but you can use a bottle or anything with a good seal. 

And voilà! You’re all set with homemade honey whiskey (that’s cheaper than just buying expensive honey whiskey at the liquor store, I might add).

What kind of whiskey should you use to make homemade honey whiskey?

Whatever spirit you have on hand is fine! I typically use bourbon, but you can go for Irish whiskey, rye whiskey, scotch or even brandy. All of them would would all be fantastic for this honey whiskey liqueur.

If you’re unsure how a combination would taste, try mixing 1/2 ounce of the spirit with 1/2 ounce of honey just to see.

What kind of honey should you use to make homemade honey whiskey?

The best homemade remedies usually recommend local honey, but storebought is fine too. Just make sure it’s 100% honey and there’s no corn syrup or additives.

If yours has little crystals in it, you can follow this guide for how to decrystallize honey. It’s totally fine to use!

What can you make with homemade honey whiskey?

All kinds of things! You can make a hot toddy, or use it in lieu of regular whiskey or bourbon in all kinds of recipes.

If you want simple, it’s great with lemonade, ginger ale or ginger beer.

Feeling fancy? Try it in a honey old-fashioned.

If you use Irish whiskey and you can make this Irish Whiskey Honey Mint Julep (and skip the added honey, since the honey will be added already.)

What’s a hot toddy?

A hot toddy is a warm cocktail made of liquor — usually whiskey, bourbon, brandy or scotch, — a bit of water, honey, citrus and maybe some herbs and spices. It’s served hot, and is a great choice for warming up in the winter months.

Try this Clementine Hot Toddy or a Pear Hot Toddy for something a little more non-traditional.

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