By Julie Lawrence Special to OnMilwaukee.com Published Jul 28, 2008 at 1:00 PM

To help keep the dog days of vodka season fresh, the folks at Milwaukee's own Great Lakes Distillery are unleashing its latest summer-infused flavored vodka.

For its Citrus & Honey vodka, released today to bars, restaurant and liquor stores in southeastern Wisconsin, Great Lakes substitutes the commonly-used industrial flavorings for hundreds of real lemons and pure, natural honey from Wisconsin Natural Acres.

Rehorst provides us with some tasty recipes for the new vodka, courtesy of mixologist Jason Neu.

Rehorst Citrus Smash

2 oz. Rehorst Citrus & Honey vodka
1 oz. Grand Marnier
1/2 lemon, quartered
3 - 4 mint leaves
1/2 oz. honey syrup (4 parts honey to 1 part water)

Muddle lemon, mint, and honey syrup. Add vodka, Grand Marnier, and ice. Shake well and double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Silky

1 1/2 oz. Rehorst Citrus & Honey vodka
Splash raspberry liqueur
2 bar spoons lemon curd

Combine all ingredients with ice in a shaker. Shake extra hard for at least 30 seconds to get the lemon curd worked in. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a few raspberries.

Bartenders Lemonade Stand

2 oz. Rehorst Citrus & Honey vodka
1/2 oz. limoncello
1/4 oz. Navan Natural Vanilla Liqueur
Dash Absinthe

Pour a dash of Absinthe into a chilled old-fashioned glass, swirl it around and pour it out. Combine the rest of the ingredients with ice and shake well. Strain into the absinthe rinsed glass filled with fresh ice. Top with a splash of seltzer or sparkling lemonade. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Cooler near the Lake

1 1/2 oz. Rehorst Citrus & Honey vodka
1 inch slice of peeled seedless cucumber
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz. Monin Rose syrup
Dash of orange bitters
Seltzer

Muddle cucumber, rose syrup, and bitters. Add vodka, lemon juice, and ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled Champagne glass. Top with a splash of seltzer and garnish with a rose petal.

Hot Lemon Toddy

1 oz. Rehorst Citrus & Honey vodka
4 oz. hot apple cider
1 bar spoon honey
Dash of Angostura bitters
Cinnamon stick
Nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a footed coffee mug. Stir to dissolve honey. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and freshly grated nutmeg.

Ultimate Lemon Drop

2 1/2 oz. Rehorst Citrus & Honey vodka
1/2 lemon, quartered
1 1/2 oz. honey syrup (4 parts honey to 1 part water)
1 vanilla bean
Zest from 1 lemon
1 cup sugar

For the sugar rim: Combine 1 cup sugar, the micro planed zest from 1 lemon, and the inside of a vanilla bean. Put in a resealable container and shake well. Moisten the outer rim of a chilled cocktail glass with a slice of lemon. Rim glass with lemon-vanilla sugar. Muddle lemon pieces and honey syrup in a shaker. Add vodka and ice and shake well. Strain into the rimmed glass.

Mary's Hot Sister

2 oz. Rehorst Citrus & Honey vodka
4 cherry tomatoes
About 1/4 of a ripe mango, cut into pieces
2 dashes of Tabasco sauce (more if you like it hotter)
Dash of fresh lemon juice
Pinch of sea salt

Muddle tomatoes, mango, Tabasco, and salt. Add vodka, lemon juice, and ice. Shake extra hard. Double strain (use a tea strainer) into a chilled cocktail glass with half of a tomato slice with the cut side pressed into salt and chili powder.

Honeybee Champagne Cocktail

1 1/2 oz. Rehorst Citrus & Honey vodka
1 bars poon honey
About 5 oz. chilled Champagne

Combine honey and vodka in the bottom of a Champagne glass. Gently stir (The honey will not completely dissolve, that's so as you drink it the honey slowly leeches into the drink. Similar to the sugar cube in a Champagne cocktail) Fill glass with chilled Champagne and gently stir. Garnish with a long thin lemon zest.

 

 

Julie Lawrence Special to OnMilwaukee.com

OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.

As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”