Honeysuckle Vodka: A Flower Liqueur

Love the scent of honeysuckle? Try foraging for these edible wildflowers and infuse them into a delicious flower liqueur– honeysuckle vodka!

Each spring, the woods behind our apartment turn white with honeysuckle blossoms, and it smells spectacular.

Did you, like me, grow up eating the tiny, minuscule drops of “honey” from honeysuckle?

If so, you may have also wished that you could somehow, possibly, get a bunch of these dainty flowers together and miraculously collect all of the sweet nectar.

I don’t know how many thousands (or millions) of flowers it would take to harvest a jar of honeysuckle nectar, and I’m not even sure it would be possible.

What I do know, however, is that you can preserve those delicious and edible flowers in vodka.  In doing so, you’ll infuse the vodka with both the delicate floral scent of the petals AND the taste of the nectar.

This honeysuckle vodka is a simple and easy way to savor these edible wildflowers.

P.S.– You can also make honeysuckle simple syrup!

If you love edible flower ideas, make sure to check out this nasturtium salad, chive (+ chive blossom) butter, chive blossom vinegar, and stuffed squash blossoms.

Identifying Japanese Honeysuckle

There are many, many types of honeysuckle, but not every type has delicious nectar inside the flower.

When foraging, I look for Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica).

Japanese Honeysuckle is invasive, so you’re actually helping the environment by cutting it back.

See the photo above for help identifying honeysuckle.

Look for fragrant, tubular flowers. When they’re young, the flowers are white, but they turn yellow with age.

The flowers will be around 1 1/2″ long, with a 2-lipped, 5-lobed corolla (the petals).

They grow on a vine, and have long, ovate-shaped leaves that grow opposite from one another on the vine.

Where I grew up in West Virginia, Japanese honeysuckle was (and is) everywhere.  

In fact, I’ve never had to go looking for it, because it’s just always been there– a friendly, flowering spring welcome sign.   So I’m very comfortable identifying it.

If you did not grow up eating (and identifying) honeysuckle, buy a field guide to help you identify wildflowers. I recommend the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers.

How to Forage for Honeysuckle

Positively identify the plant as Japanese Honeysuckle.  If you aren’t positive, leave it.

Never harvest honeysuckle (or any wild plant that you intend to eat) from the side of a busy road or other high-pollutant areas.

If the plant isn’t on your property, make sure you have permission before harvesting.

Bees love honeysuckle too– be aware of where you’re placing your hands when picking flowers.

How to Harvest Honeysuckle

To harvest honeysuckle, grab a bucket (or some other large container) to drop the flower petals into.  Simply pinch the flower off the vine at the base, and make sure you get the entire flower.

If you want to taste the nectar as you go, pinch the bottom green part of the flower off, and pull it through the flower.  You should see a tiny little bead of nectar.

How many flowers should you gather?  

This recipe uses about two cups of flowers, but you could easily halve or double the recipe.  I usually just gather until I think I’ve got around two cups.

How to Clean Honeysuckle Flowers

Once you’ve gathered as many flowers as you want, bring them inside and clean them off.  

Fill a sink or bowl with cool water, and then dip the flowers, a couple at a time, into the cold water to rinse off dust or pollen from other plants.

Avoid running water over the flowers, because you could damage the flower or rinse off the nectar.  

Lay flowers out on a towel to dry.

How to Make Honeysuckle Vodka

Once your flowers have dried, put them in a glass jar.  

You want to fit as many flowers in your jar as possible, but you do not want to squash the flowers.

Next, you need orange zest.  

Wash an orange (preferably one with no wax), and use a vegetable peeler to remove the orange zest in long strips.  Avoid getting any of the white pith, because it will infuse your vodka with a bitter flavor.

Set the orange zest on top of the honeysuckle flowers in the jar.

Next, pour vodka into the jar until the flowers and orange zest are completely covered.  Seal the jar with a lid, and set it out of direct sunlight for 2-3 weeks.

Once the vodka has finished absorbing the flower flavor, strain out the flowers and orange peel by pouring the vodka through a mesh sieve.  

Next, you’ll heat water and sugar together to make a simple syrup.  Once the syrup cools, add it to the vodka gradually until you like the flavor.

How Do I Use Honeysuckle Vodka?

Sip it straight, or drink it on the rocks.

Want a cocktail?  Here are a few more ideas:

Use it to spike this lavender lemonade or a classic lemonade.

Make a tea hot toddy, use an herbal tea, and swap the honeysuckle for the whiskey or bourbon. You could even use homemade mint tea or catnip tea in the hot toddy!

Add 1 oz of honeysuckle vodka to a glass of champagne, Prosecco, or sparkling wine

Mix the honeysuckle vodka with bourbon (1 part honeysuckle vodka, 2 parts bourbon).

Print Recipe

5 from 8 votes

Honeysuckle Vodka: A Flower Liqueur

Love the scent of honeysuckle? Try foraging for these edible wildflowers and infuse them into a delicious flower liqueur– honeysuckle vodka!

Author: Sarah Trenalone

Prep Time1 hr 20 mins

Cook Time14 d

Total Time14 d 1 hr 20 mins

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: 16 1 oz shots

Calories: 93kcal

Will It Keep?

1 Year

Ingredients

Initial Infusion:

• 2 cups honeysuckle flowers, stems + leaves removed From the Japanese honeysuckle plant
• 1 naval orange, organic and unwaxed preffered
• 2 cups unflavored vodka, 80 proof (avoid wheat-based vodka to stay gluten-free)

Simple Syrup: (Added After the Vodka Has Infused)

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water

Equipment Needed:

• glass jar with lid (16oz mason jar ideal)
• chopstick or butter-knife to push down flowers
• mesh sieve

Instructions

Infusing Honeysuckle Vodka:

• Clean honeysuckle by dipping flowers in cool water and then laying out on a towel to dry.
• Once flowers have dried, place them in a glass jar, and gently push them down until their aren’t large air bubbles– DO NOT squash the flowers. Some extra space is fine.
• Wash orange in warm water, using a vegetable scrub brush if the orange is waxed.  Remove the peel with a vegetable peeler, taking care to only get the orange zest and not the white pith.  Add the peel to the top of the jar, above the honeysuckle.  

  Make sure to add the orange peel last– it will serve as a weight and keep the honeysuckle submerged.  (You can eat the orange– you’re not adding it to the jar.)
• Slowly pour the vodka into the jar, using a chopstick to gently push down the flowers and orange peel.  Seal the jar with a lid, and set jar aside for 2-3 weeks. The jar doesn’t have to be in the dark, but make sure it’s out of direct sunlight.
• Once the vodka has finished infusing, pour it through a mesh sieve to remove the flowers and orange peel.  

Sweetening Vodka:

• Add sugar and water to a small pot and bring to a boil.  Stir to ensure all the sugar has been dissolved.  Set aside to cool.
• Once the syrup has cooled, add half of the sugar simple syrup to the vodka.  Taste, and see if you want it to be sweeter.  Sweeten more if desired.
• Store the vodka out of direct sunlight in an airtight container, and drink it straight or in mixed drinks. Use within one year.

Notes

Yields about 2 cups of vodka.

Troubleshooting: Homemade liqueurs tend to be extremely shelf-stable because of the alcohol.  To make your liqueur last as long as possible, keep it in an airtight container and try to use it within a year.  However, if your infused vodka ever develops an odd flavor or scent, or if you see mold in it– throw it out!

Nutrition

Calories: 93kcal (5%) | Carbohydrates: 6g (2%) | Sugar: 6g (7%)

Tried this recipe?Mention @champagne.tastes on Instagram, or leave a comment + rating!

Sarah Trenalone

Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes.

She's a photographer, food writer, and traveler, and loves traveling with her husband. Together, they hike the National Parks, travel along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and of course, eat.

Sarah is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

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