🥃 Honey liqueur
A liqueur in which honey gives sweetness and aroma: under EU rules at least 15% vol. and 100 g/l of sugars; examples are krupnik, Canarian ronmiel and German Bärenfang.
Honey liqueur is a strong drink made on a base of spirit, vodka, rum or whisky, sweetened with honey and often flavoured with spices. Under EU rules it is an ordinary liqueur: at least 15% vol. and 100 g of sugars per litre. This is what separates it from honey spirit, where honey is fermented and distilled.
Krupnik. According to Difford's Guide, krupnik is a liqueur on grain spirit or vodka, sweetened with honey and spiced, popular in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. Its origin is linked to 16th-century Benedictine monks from Nesvizh. It is often drunk warm, and the best-known Polish brand is made in Starogard Gdański.
Ronmiel. On the Canary Islands ronmiel is made: rum with a syrup of honey and water. The Canarian version has an EU geographical indication: 20–30% vol., sugars up to 350 g/l; the label «dulce» means over 150 g/l, «semidulce» no more than that. According to its technical file, about 1.5 million litres are produced per year.
Others. The EU list of geographical indications also includes the German honey drink Ostpreußischer Bärenfang. Honey also sweetens the well-known Scotch and Irish whisky liqueurs, Greek rakomelo made on tsipouro and Mexican Xtabentún made on rum.
Why it matters to you. The word «honey» on the label does not make the drink light: honey liqueur is at least 15% vol., and krupnik is often around 40%. It also contains a lot of sugar. A warm drink goes to the head faster. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| EU category | 33 — liqueur (honey liqueurs have no separate EU category) |
|---|---|
| Alcohol (% vol.) | at least 15% vol.; Ronmiel de Canarias 20–30% vol. |
| Raw material | spirit, vodka, rum or whisky; honey; spices and herbs |
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2019/787, Annex I, category 33; Ronmiel de Canarias PGI (PGI-ES-01943) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Honey liqueur → kind of → 🍸 Liqueurs → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Made from
- 🍸 Vodka, 🥃 Rum
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health
- Part of
- 🍯 Honey spirit drinks, 🍸 Liqueurs
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Stumbras, 🥃 Drambuie, 🥃 Irish Mist, 🥃 Rakomelo, 🥃 Xtabentún, 🥃 Bayerischer Kräuterlikör
Frequently asked questions
Is honey liqueur the same as mead?
No. Mead is fermented honey; honey liqueur is a mixture of spirit with honey and sugar, at least 15% vol. under EU rules.
How does honey liqueur differ from honey spirit?
Honey spirit is a distillate of fermented honey, at least 35% vol., without flavourings. Honey liqueur is a spirit sweetened with honey, at least 15% vol. and at least 100 g/l of sugars.
What is krupnik?
A liqueur on grain spirit or vodka with honey and spices, popular in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus; it is often served warm.
What is Ronmiel de Canarias?
Canarian rum with honey syrup and an EU geographical indication: 20–30% vol., up to 350 g/l of sugars.
Can a liqueur be sweetened with honey alone?
Yes: EU rules count sugars together, and honey is an allowed sweetener; the main requirement is reaching the minimum of 100 g/l.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Rum — A distillate of sugar-cane molasses, syrup or juice: in the EU at least 37.5% vol., no flavourings or added alcohol, up to 20 g/l of sugar.
- 🥃 Drambuie — Scotch whisky liqueur with heather honey, herbs and spices; the name Drambuie was registered by James Ross in 1893 and the brand now belongs to William Grant & Sons.
- 🥃 Bayerischer Kräuterlikör — Protected EU geographical indication for herbal liqueurs of Bavaria: spirit infusions of herbs, roots, flowers and spices, sweetened with sugar or honey; at least 15 % vol.
- 🥃 Irish Mist — Irish whiskey-based liqueur with honey and herbs; created in 1947 in Tullamore; 35% ABV; owned by Heaven Hill Brands since 2017.
Similar
🥃 Xtabentún · 🥃 Hüttentee · 🥃 Goldwasser · 🥃 Coffee liqueur · 🥃 Génépi · 🥃 Egg liqueur (advocaat)
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Annex I: categories 9 (fruit spirit), 25 (aniseed-flavoured spirit drink), 33 (liqueur)
- Ronmiel de Canarias, PGI-ES-01943: technical file (honey and water syrup, rum, 20–30 % vol., sugar ≤ 350 g/l, «dulce» / «semidulce», ~1.5 million litres a year) — Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación
- Difford's Guide: Krupnik liqueur — grain spirit (vodka)-based liqueur sweetened with honey and flavoured with spices; 16th-century Benedictine origins; served warm
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III: list of geographical indications of spirit drinks (consolidated at 31.01.2020) — Hierbas de Mallorca, Horincă de Cămârzana, Ostpreußischer Bärenfang, Ronmiel de Canarias
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)