A man and a woman holding glasses of wine, engaging in a tasting or conversation indoors.

A bottle of Bruadar single malt Scotch whisky beside dessert glasses filled with layered yogurt, fruit, and granola, with gold spoons on a wooden serving board.

Close-up of honeybees on honeycomb with sections of honeycomb and honey inside.

A person holding a glass of whiskey or bourbon in a tasting setting.

Close-up of a hive frame with bees working on honeycomb.

Four glasses of granola topped with nuts and dried fruit on a wooden tray, gold spoons, and a restaurant menu on a dark wood table.

A bottle of Bruadar single malt Scotch whisky liqueur with a blue label, surrounded by jars of honey and green leaves.

Close-up view of worker bees on honeycomb frames inside a beehive.

LET’S TALK HONey

What Is World Bee Day?

World Bee Day – a celebration of the tiny creatures, held on 20th May. This special day was established in 2017, with the goal of raising awareness surrounding the issues with declining bee populations and the urgency to protect pollinators. As a result of climate change and other destructive factors, beekeepers are facing a huge issue with colony numbers falling at an exponential rate. This is why it was decided that we need a day to celebrate and raise awareness about bees and what we can all do to help.

So Why Are We Celebrating?

Well, our Bruadar liqueur is hand-crafted with honey from beehives on site, making our liqueur naturally sweet as well as having huge environmental benefits for our farm. Not only would we be without Bruadar if bee populations crashed, but more importantly our food chain and biodiversity would be majorly impacted. With around 90% of plant species requiring pollination, this illustrates the significant role pollinators play and exactly why we all need to help protect them!

What Have We Done to Celebrate?

This year, we took the opportunity to make the most of our beehives and try to raise awareness about bee populations. We invited some guests along to the distillery and had a day of education, with delicious food and drinks. First, we put on some beautiful beekeeping costumes… where our beekeepers expertly took us through the amazing world of hives and bee societies. After all that work, we then headed over for some light refreshments and cocktails using Bruadar as an ingredient. If you want to try these at home, take a look at our cocktails and recipes pages and let us know if you tried them by using the hashtag:

#BRUADARBEEDAY

Close-up of honeycomb frame with bees working on it.

Six glasses of granola on a wooden serving board with gold spoons surrounding it.

BEE-UTIFUL COCKTAILS

We asked Jack Jamieson, creator of @Scottishmixology to design some bee-themed cocktails in honour of World Bee Day. Take a look below for some tasty inspo!

HONEYMOON

A tropical cocktail drink in a tall glass garnished with a pineapple slice, cherry, pineapple leaf, and a small umbrella, with crushed ice and a green straw on a wooden surface.

Reminiscent of the tropical tastes in a piña colada, this honeymoon cocktail will make you dream of exotic locations. Rum, pineapple, lime, coconut, bruadar… a deliciously sweet combo. If you try any of our cocktails, be sure to tag us in them. Head to our cocktail page to see a step by step on how you can re-create this tasty tipple.

Cocktail recipes

BEES KNEES

A cocktail in a coupe glass garnished with a lemon twist, sitting on a wooden surface with a blurred green plant and a bottle in the background.

This is our on take on the typical bees knees cocktail. A gin-based drink with honeyed elements make it the perfectly refreshing tipple for summer. Let us know if you re-create it by tagging us on social media.

Enjoy!

Cocktail recipes

COLD-BRU

A bottle of Bruadar single malt scotch whisky liqueur next to a cocktail glass with layered drink topped with chocolate shavings, on a wooden surface with some scattered in the foreground, and a potted plant to the left.

This is one for our caffeine-obsessed. This serve is almost TOO easy to make and is the ultimate indulgence! Espresso, bruadar and foamer. The perfect pick-me-up for the weekend. Let us know if you make this at home. Head to our cocktail page to see how you can re-create it.

Cocktail recipes

ADD SOME BUZZ TO YOUR KITCHEN

Four glass cups filled with layered dessert containing granola, cream, and strawberries, placed on a wooden serving board.

A fresh, seasonal and comforting dish, with a just hint of liqueur – the perfect way to start a weekend brunch! This recipe serves 4 people and is easily prepared ahead of time, so you can assemble when you need it. Head to our recipe page for full method and ingredients.

MAKE BRUADAR GRANOLA

Person in an apron slicing a layered dessert with red fruit topping on a wooden cutting board.

Inspired by Ottolenghi, our Pittenweem Strawberry and Bruadar Tiramisu is the perfect seasonal summer pudding. It is best served straight from the fridge, as it will lose firmness when warm.

Head to our recipe page for full method and ingredients.

MAKE BRUADAR TIRAMISU

BOTHY KITCHEN

A woman with blonde hair wearing a pink and white striped shirt and a green apron standing outside a restaurant called 'BIRTH' next to a blackboard sign showing the restaurant's name, hours, and a simple drawing of a house.

Our Bruadar recipes were developed by Fiona at Bothy Kitchen, based on the East Neuk of Fife.

“Hello! We’re Bothy Kitchen and we believe that great food is the best way to bring people together… to enjoy each other’s company and make lasting memories.

We lovingly handmake deliciously comforting food and our restaurant quality, classic and seasonal dishes, are made with the best of ingredients, sourced from Bowhouse producers and other artisans in the East Neuk of Fife.

We are obsessed by taste, quality and comfort, and we don’t believe in small portions, so you’ll find that our meals are generous in size. Importantly, there are no additives or preservatives in our food.

To find out more about our catering services, look through sample menus and make a booking…please do get in touch at hello@bothykitchen.co.uk or visit our instagram page for the latest updates”

CONTACT

Support your local beekeepers by buying their honey instead of name brand items. This will help local businesses and in turn protect the pollinator population.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Black background with a teal bee icon in the center.

You can help bee populations by planting bee-friendly plants and flowers such as daisies, clover and foxgloves. This will attract bees and encourage pollination.