Honeysuckle Syrup

Honeysuckle Syrup, June 23, 2023.

Honeysuckle is an old-timey flower that is well-suited to rambling over fences and gates with golden and pink flowers dotting its green foliage. These unusual flowers look rather like large colorful insects with wiry appendages going different directions. Honeysuckle flowers start off blooming in the palest of pinks and slowly turn to a golden yellow under the rays of the warm sun. Yet while they may not be the prettiest of flowers their scent is heavenly! Every time I walk by our side yard gate my nose catches the honey-nectar scent of these country flowers. I cannot imagine a cottage garden without them because of the delicious and sweet way they perfume the air.

A sign of devotion and affection, one might sleep with honeysuckle under their pillow to dream of their true love in the Victorian era while Daphnis and Chloe greet one another near the rambling honeysuckle vine in their ancient annual tryst. If you plant one of these make sure to plant this honey-scented vine with its roots in the shade, but let the vines reach for the sun.

A sweetest odor! Honeysuckle!
Asphodel that Greeny Flower by William Carlos Williams

The scent of honeysuckles rivals that of the equally fragrant lilac, yet with just a touch more honey sweetness which makes it lovely for a simple syrup. And how should you use this pale-yellow ambrosia? Honeysuckle syrup is best as an accent ingredient for drinks and cocktails. It adds a delicious floral complexity to a cocktail or mocktail. I find its flavor is best the first few days, so I don’t recommend making a big batch.