Enzo’s Drink Recipe

Make honey syrup

Prepare honey syrup in advance by combining equal parts honey and hot water (1:1). Stir until the honey fully dissolves. Let cool to room temperature. Use 0.5 oz in this recipe; extra can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Juice lemon

Roll a fresh lemon firmly on the counter to loosen juices, cut, and squeeze until you have 0.75 oz (about 0.5 medium lemon). Strain if desired to remove pulp and seeds.

Build the cocktail

In a cocktail shaker, add 2 oz Dickel 8 Year bourbon, 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice, 0.5 oz honey syrup, and 2 dashes Angostura bitters.

Shake with ice

Fill the shaker with ice (about 1 cup). Secure the lid and shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until the shaker is cold and slightly frosted—this chills and dilutes the drink to balance the bourbon, lemon, and honey.

Prepare glass

Place a large ice cube (or 3–4 regular ice cubes) in a rocks glass. If you prefer, chill the glass briefly beforehand.

Strain and serve

Double-strain the cocktail (using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer or a fine strainer alone) over the ice in the prepared glass to remove small ice shards and any lemon pulp. This yields a clean, silky drink.

Garnish

Express the oils of a lemon twist over the surface by holding the twist over the glass and giving it a quick squeeze, then rub the peel on the rim and drop it in (or place a lemon wheel on the rim).

Final tasting note

Taste and adjust: if you prefer it slightly sweeter, add another 0.25 oz honey syrup and stir briefly; if brighter, add 0.25 oz more lemon juice. Serve immediately.