Hot honey is having a hot moment here in 2022, showing up as a spicy newcomer on cafe menus across the United States. But what is it? No, hot honey is not a bottle of honey warming atop the espresso machine (that’s warm honey). It’s honey that’s been infused with chili peppers to kick it up a notch and make anything you drizzle it upon nice and spicy. Carb-alicious foodstuffs like pepperoni pizza, cornbread, or fried chicken are just some of the obvious uses for this tingly treat, but at the The Bake Shop in Williamsburg, Virginia, hot honey meets creamy milk and delicious espresso in the form of a delicious Hot Honey Latte.
My mouth is tingling—and so is my editorial wherewithal, meaning this is absolutely the perfect sort of story for On The Menu, our signature drink feature series. Sprudge reached out to Lead Barista Brittany Sims and the folks at The Bake Shop to learn more.
Tell us about your signature drink!
Inspired by our Detroit-style pizza service that we offer weekly, the Hot Honey Latte features a wildflower honey-based syrup with orange zest, Calabrian chili flakes, chipotle, and Cayenne making it a sweet and spicy latte. It’s available hot or iced, and our staff has been divided on which way they like it best but, either way, you can’t go wrong. What has surprised customers so far, is the heat that comes through. It isn’t just warming like a chai, the Calabrian chili flakes give each sip a nice spicy finish.
Who crafted your signature drink?
It was a joint collaboration between Brittany Sims, Beka Olsen, and Liv Duplicki.
What unique ingredients does it contain?
Wildflower honey, Calabrian chili flakes, ground chipotle, cayenne pepper, and orange zest.
Where is it available?
The Bake Shop in Williamsburg, VA
How much is it?
$5
How long will it be on the menu?
It’ll be available until June.
Anything else you’d like to share about the drink?
Having a latte like this can be intimidating to customers, and some have been nervous to try it. But once they do, they’ve been hooked. One customer even picked up his Hot Honey Latte from the bar, took a sip, and said, “Oh ****, this is the best latte I’ve ever had.” This warms my heart to hear because this latte represents a true coming together of our barista team and bakery/kitchen team in getting all the flavors just right to put into a latte. So often in a business like ours, the coffee side and the kitchen side can almost feel like completely different departments but it was fun to work together on all sides of crafting a signature beverage.
Thank you.
Photos by Brittany Sims.
On The Menu is a feature series on Sprudge Media Network. Interested in having your signature drink featured in On The Menu? Get in touch!
