Mike’s Hot Honey has been heating up the restaurant world in recent years with its unique blend of sweet and spicy flavors.
What’s the secret? The honey is infused with chili peppers, resulting in a delicious balance of heat and sweetness. The versatile product can have a place on nearly any menu from breakfast and brunch, to dinner, desserts and cocktails and more.
In fact, the term “hot honey” on menus has grown 122% over the last four years.
Mike’s Hot Honey was literally born in a restaurant kitchen so it’s no wonder it has become a staple on menus throughout the country.
The story began in Brooklyn where founder Mike Kurtz was working at Paulie Gee’s pizzeria and experimenting with adding his homemade hot honey recipe, which was inspired by a college trip to Brazil.
From the first drizzle on the Hellboy pizza, it was clear he was onto something special. The result was a deliciously addictive combination that quickly became a hit with customers.
Word about the hot honey spread quickly, and before long, Kurtz was bottling and selling it.
Fast forward 10-plus years, and Mike’s Hot Honey is now in thousands of retailer’s shelves and in foodservice kitchens.
The now infamous Paulie Gee’s Hellboy, where it all got started, has long been on the permanent menu, and businesses including First Watch, Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza and Madison Square Garden feature it in everything from margaritas to fried chicken, wings, breakfast sandwiches and ice cream sundaes.
For First Watch, Mike’s Hot Honey recently collaborated on the Million Dollar Harvest Hash, a seasonal offering that featured spicy honey in a dish served with the chain’s Million Dollar Bacon, potatoes, and house-roasted sweet potatoes, Crimini mushrooms, kale and Monterey Jack, eggs, herbed Goat cheese, lemon-dressed arugula, and drizzled with Mike’s Hot Honey.
This was the second custom recipe made by the restaurant’s chef Shane Schaibly and Mike Kurtz. The duo first collaborated on the restaurant’s successful Million Dollar Breakfast Sandwich.
First Watch: Million Dollar Breakfast Sandwich
(Pictured to right) Bacon, sausage patty, egg, smoked Gouda, arugula and Mike’s Hot Honey drizzled on a griddled English muffin
“We pride ourselves on the close way we work with our partners to create unique and impactful menu items and supporting promotions,” Kurtz said.
“Developing recipes with restaurants is such a thrill, and I always get excited for people to try our product in a new way and get their gears turning so they ask, what else can I put this honey on?’” he added.
In addition to First Watch, Mike’s Hot Honey has been featured in popular menu items at a variety of restaurants, including:
Melt Shop: Mike’s Hot Honey Chicken Bun
(Pictured below) Fried chicken, sliced cheddar, jalapeño pimento cheese, Mike’s Hot Honey drizzle on a potato bun
&Pizza: American Honey
(Pictured to left) Spicy tomato, fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, arugula, goat cheese, hot honey, red pepper flakes
Starbird Chicken: Mike’s Hot Honey Chicken Tacos
(Pictured at top) Crispy Chicken, Mike’s Hot Honey, chipotle slaw, pique sauce, sweet pepper relish, bacon and green onions
Mike’s Hot Honey is not just limited to food of course. Increasingly, restaurants are adding it to cocktails and beverages.
For example, New York based Sweet Chick introduced the “Apple Frozen Swirl” made with Cognac, apple brandy, pomegranate, ginger, Mike’s Hot Honey (pictured to right).
Bartenders have also discovered that Mike’s Hot Honey gives a “swicy” touch to Margaritas.
There seems to be no limit to ways you can bring the sweet heat to your menu for breakfast, lunch & dinner to desserts & drinks. Here are some suggestions to get the wheels turning:
Try it On:
- Pizza: pepperoni, soppressata, post-oven ricotta, burrata
- Chicken: chicken & waffles, wings, fried chicken sandwich
- Cheese: cheese plate, grilled cheese sandwich, fried cheese
- Dessert: vanilla ice cream, grilled peaches, cheesecake
- Sauces: barbecue, buffalo, salad dressings, soy ginger glaze
- Cocktails: Margarita, Moscow Mule, Hot Toddy
Chef’s Tips:
- Drizzle Mike’s Hot Honey just before serving for the best flavor experience.
- On pizza, always drizzle post-oven (cook, slice, then drizzle).
- For cocktails, create a syrup (1:1 MHH/ water) before mixing into drinks.
Creating Collaborations that Extend Beyond the Menu
While it starts with a craveable menu items, these days partnering with a brand often goes beyond using their trademark name and logo.
Restaurants are choosing brands that appeal to younger audiences and creating digital content that brings the collaboration to life, giving customers the opportunity to learn more about the restaurant, the brand partner and their shared values.
“Brands like Mike’s Hot Honey also offer the opportunity to connect on a personal level and create content that features the people behind the food,” said First Watch’s VP of Culinary Strategy, Shane Schaibly.
For example, to promote the “Million Dollar Breakfast Sandwich” the two companies brought the collaboration to life through video content captured on the streets of Brooklyn and an online campaign earning over 100,000 organic engagements on Instagram, including a giveaway of Mike’s Hot Honey bottles to 10 First Watch followers.
“We want our restaurant partners to be successful,” Kurtz said. “Our creative and energetic marketing and support teams will pull out all the stops to help them.”
Mike’s Hot Honey also has an array of materials to support restaurants available for download on its website and upon request.
These include a variety of signage and marketing items such as bottle displays, dip cup displays, easel back signs, coasters, removable decals, table tents, posters and more.
“The spicy-sweet food trend shows no signs of slowing down and consumers are increasingly expecting to be surprised and delighted by the restaurants they frequent,” Kurtz pointed out.
“It’s a great time to add Mike’s Hot Honey to your menu and drive sales through limited time offers and supporting marketing efforts.”
To accommodate a wide range of needs on the product side, both Mike’s Hot Honey and Mike’s Hot Honey Extra Hot are available in the standard 12 oz table bottle and the 24 oz chef’s bottle for busy kitchens.
Both options also have convenient .5 oz squeeze varieties for delivery and on-the-go. Mike’s Hot Honey also comes in 1 oz Dip Cups and 192 oz Jugs.
For more information or to request a sample, go to website.
About Mike’s Hot Honey: Mike’s Hot Honey is America’s leading brand of hot honey and has been elevating everyday eating experiences since 2010, when its first drizzle on a pizza at Paulie Gee’s in Brooklyn sparked a word-of-mouth sensation and created a new category of pizza topping.
By popular demand, Mike started selling his small-batch, hand-labeled hot honey bottles to visitors of the pizzeria, as well as other local restaurants and businesses.
Today, Mike’s Hot Honey can be found in thousands of restaurants and retailers across the country, with the same original recipe in the bottle.
Using only 100% pure honey infused with real chili peppers, Mike’s Hot Honey’s one-two flavor punch of sweetness then heat makes any dish more dynamic, from the original pairing on pepperoni pizza to chicken, cheese and charcuterie, ice cream, cocktails, and so much more.
Mike’s Hot Honey empowers chefs and eaters everywhere to customize, create, and share extraordinary meals. Happy drizzling!
