Rachel Khoo: get buzzing

Ever since I visited a beekeeper whose hives sat on top of the Grand Palais in Paris, urban beekeeping has been firmly on my radar. London has seen a honey awakening, with amateur beekeepers taking advantage of spare rooftop space and burgeoning businesses such as The London Honey Company in Bermondsey making a name for themselves. This little cocktail and nibble combo makes the most of this buzzing industry.

Spiced honey-roasted chickpeas with a whisky and honey sour

Serves 2 as an apéritif

300g cooked chickpeas

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp garam masala

1 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp honey

3 cloves of garlic, bashed

For the sour (enough for 4-5 cocktails):

100g honey

Per cocktail:

50ml whisky

20ml lemon juice

20ml honey syrup

1 egg white

A few drops of Angostura bitters

Preheat the oven to 200C (fan assisted). Drain the chickpeas if they are in liquid. Pour the oil on to a baking tray and heat in the oven. In the meantime, pat the drained chickpeas dry with a clean tea towel or kitchen roll. Toss with the garam masala, salt, honey and garlic.

Remove the tray from the oven and add the seasoned chickpeas. Toss in the oil and roast for 40 minutes, or until crunchy but not burned — after about 25 minutes, toss the chickpeas and then return to the oven. Keep a close eye on them towards the end of the cooking time.

To make the sour, start by making the honey syrup. Put the honey and 100ml water in a small saucepan and place over a low heat. Gently warm the mixture until it is smooth and the water and honey are one. Set aside to cool.

For each cocktail, place the whisky, lemon juice, honey syrup and egg white in a cocktail shaker with a few cubes of ice. Shake for a good couple of minutes, then pour through a strainer into a glass. Top with a few drops of Angostura bitters and serve alongside the honey-roasted chickpeas.