ABERFELDY Scotch Whisky Helps Honey Bees

Since National Honey Month begins September 1, 2020, ABERFELDY Single Malt Scotch Whisky is connecting beekeepers and bartenders to source local honey in making ABERFELDY based cocktails. Founded in 1898, by the dynamic Dewar brothers, John Alexander and Tommy, they built the distillery near the birthplace of their father, the pioneering blender John Dewar.

Known around the world as the ‘Golden Dram,’ ABERFELDY Single Malt Scotch Whisky has collaborated with the national, non-profit Bee Informed Partnership (BIP) organization in launching a ‘Gardening Giveback Project‘ dedicated to working with beekeepers across the country to improve honey bee colony health and increase colony survivorship.

Photo by Jill Weinlein

Through the Gardening Giveback Project, ABERFELDY and BIP are empowering beekeepers and bartenders across eight cities in the United States – Austin, Texas; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas, Texas; Miami, Florida; Los Angeles, California; New York, New York; San Francisco, California to plant and maintain community garden-style bee sanctuaries by growing flowers, herbs and vegetables in dual purpose: to foster a healthy environment for bees while also cultivating ingredients that can be used in cocktails.

For consumers who want to support the cause but aren’t located in one of the eight regions, ABERFELDY is offering a limited-edition, farmer’s market-style cocktail crate on ReserveBar.com You will receive all of the ingredients needed to create the Herbed Honey Smash at home. The kit includes:

• 1 bottle of ABERFELDY 12
• 3 different flavors of honey
• Seeds to plant and grow your own herbs / garnishes at home
• Honey bear cocktail jars
• Exclusive access to a virtual whisky and honey tasting on 9/17 with Holly Seidewand, BACARDI North American Malts Ambassador, and Miami beekeeper Nick Bofill (The Native Guy).

Herbed Honey Smash Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients:

2 oz Aberfeldy 12 Single Malt Scotch

1.5 oz Lemon juice (or about half a lemon squeezed)

1 oz honey syrup

*Honey Syrup: 100g of honey and 64g water, stir and leave to chill. Note: syrup will only last 3 days

4-6 leaves of soft herb (basil, mint, tarragon, etc.)

Method: Add all ingredients to a shaker tin with ice. Shake vigorously and strain using a fine mesh strainer into a small rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with your fresh herb of choice and enjoy!

Use any soft herb (basil, mint, thyme, tarragon, dill, marjoram or even cilantro) you’d like for different flavor combinations. For more herb flavor, steep your fresh herbs in your local raw honey before making syrup.

“As the single most important pollinator to agriculture, honey bees are a vital component in ensuring we have access to high quality, nutritious fruits, vegetables, and nuts,” Says Geoff Williams, President of Bee Informed Partnership. “We definitely appreciate ABERFELDY supporting our mission and are really excited to help bring the Gardening Giveback Project to life.”

The limited-edition cocktail crate will be available for purchase on ReserveBar.com throughout National Honey Month this September for $45.