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These cocktails celebrate bees and their crucial place in the food system

Bees play a vital role in our food system as pollinators

By Georgina Torbet Published March 26, 2025

cocktails for the bees 240918 rsh 13869 — Casa Chi by Chef Richard Sandoval

A cocktail menu for the bees? That’s the case at Casa Chi by Chef Richard Sandoval, a lounge in Chicago which brings together flavors from Japan and Peru, which will feature a special menu for Earth Month called Viva Abejas. Running from March 25 to April 22, the menu highlights the important role that bees play in our food ecosystem by acting as pollinators.

The menu uses bee-centric ingredients like orange blossom honey, Alma Finca Orange Liqueur, and blood orange, found in both cocktails and food, and the program is supporting education and initiatives like The World Bee Project. You can get a sneak peek of the kinds of delicious recipes found for Viva Abejas season with the two cocktails shared below.

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The first is inspired by the classic Margarita, and uses a simple syrup containing both honey and lavender. As anyone who has ever popped a pot of lavender in their garden knows, bees love it. There’s also a take on the classic Sidecar which incorporates Alma Finca orange liqueur, a Mexican liqueur made from ingredients from the Yucatan peninsula.

Honey Lavender Margarita

Casa Chi by Chef Richard Sandoval

Ingredients:

2 oz. blanco tequila
1 oz. lime juice
1 oz honey lavender simple syrup (sub recipe)
0.5 oz créme de violette
0.5 oz alma finca orange liqueur
Lime wheel
Sprig of lavender

Ice: Regular

Glass: Rocks

Method:

Shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice
Pour into rocks glass with ice
Garnish with lavender sprig and lime wheel

Orchard Sidecar

Casa Chi by Chef Richard Sandoval

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Abasolo Whisky
0.75 oz Alma Finca Orange Liqueur
0.75oz Lemon Juice
1 dash angostura bitters
Garnish: Sugar Rim, Orange Twist

Method: Shake

Glassware: Nick & Nora

Method:

Rim Nick & Nora glass with sugar
Build in shaker & shake with ice
Strain into Nick & Nora glass, garnish with orange twist

Georgina Torbet

Former Space Writer

Georgina has been the space writer at Digital Trends space writer for six years, covering human space exploration, planetary…

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