Ursa Major with Bärenjäger Honey & Bourbon

Winter seems to have finally caught up with us here in Boston, and it's time to break out the hot toddies. The only thing cozier than a steaming mug of tea is a steaming mug of tea and whiskey. Or whatever your spirit of choice might be. If you're on the fence, I've got the perfect suggestion: Bärenjäger Honey & Bourbon.

Bärenjäger (which translates to "bear hunter") has been making a delicious Honey Liqueur for over a hundred years. It was supposedly formulated by bear hunters to lure bears out of their dens, and is sometimes called Bärenfang ("bear trap").

Recently, Bärenjäger got the genius idea to mix their honey liqueur with bourbon, and Bärenjäger Honey & Bourbon was born. One taste of this stuff and you won't want to pick up a bottle of Jack Daniels ever again. The flavor in Bärenjäger is pure, natural honey. It's definitely on the sweet side, but if that's your thing you're going to love sipping on it. Otherwise it's a fantastic addition to cocktails.

The honey flavor and the cold weather got me thinking of how I would drink black tea with honey when I was sick as a kid. Honey and tea are a natural match, so a hot toddy seemed like the perfect drink for Bärenjäger. With a little Allspice Dram, lemon, and cinnamon syrup, you're going to want to curl up with one of these all winter long. And I'm thinking an iced version is going to have to happen this summer. Maybe with some ginger liqueur instead of the Allspice Dram? The possibilities are endless.

Ursa Major

1 1/2 oz. Bärenjäger Honey & Bourbon
1/2 oz. Allspice Dram
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1/4 oz. cinnamon syrup*
1 oz. hot water
3 oz. brewed hot black tea

Combine all ingredients in a mug and stir gently. Garnish with star anise.

*For cinnamon syrup, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add 1 cup sugar and stir until dissolved. Add 2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces, and let simmer for a minute or so. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for at least four hours and up to 12 hours. Fine-strain before using.

This post was sponsored by Bärenjäger. All opinions are my own.