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Honest Burgers has earned its place among London food royalty in the years since it launched more than a decade ago, and alongside its knockout regular menu of handcrafted burgers are limited-time collaborations with some of the world's best-loved food and drink brands.
The latest is a doozy: taking inspiration from one of the USA's foremost food cities, Chicago, it combines Honest's beautiful prime beef with smoked bacon, American cheese, grilled onions, garlic mayo and – in keeping with the Windy City's 'no ketchup' ethos, a specially created steak sauce.
But this is no ordinary steak sauce: this tangy, sweet and smoky sauce is made all the more flavourful with the addition of Maker's Mark, one of the best-loved bourbons in the United States.
It all comes alongside Honest's distinctive rosemary-salted chips, priced at £12.50, with the option of adding a specially created and delicious cocktail.
Bourbon is rightly enjoying some time in the sun lately, as drinkers around London and the UK catch on to its unique flavour profile and cocktail-making potential.
And Maker's Mark is up there with the very best: its flagship sweet and spicy blend of aged whiskeys from Kentucky, the home of bourbon, is full of sweet, rounded flavours, with a creamy mouthfeel and a vibrant, complex finish.
Tangy, sweet and smoky sauce is made all the more flavourful with the addition of Maker's Mark, one of the best-loved bourbons in the US
That distinctive character comes from the historic distillery's patient, handcrafted approach to making whisky, and specifically its use of the spicy and flavourful red winter wheat – rather than the more common distiller's rye – in its mash bill.
It makes Maker's Mark the perfect partner for stirred drinks – the most famous of which is the old fashioned – but its spicy, fruity and warming characters makes it just as suited to longer drinks, too.
If you happen to be a fan of refreshing, lip-smacking cocktails (and let's face it, who wouldn't be?) you'll be pleased to know that alongside the Chicago special, Honest Burgers is also serving the Ginger & Blood Orange Highball, a delicious sipper made with Maker's Mark and a bespoke soda made by London producer Square Root.
The soft drink – a Ginger & Blood Orange Soda – has been handcrafted to match perfectly with the distinctive character of Maker's Mark and with the juicy, tangy flavours of the Chicago burger.
The Ginger & Blood Orange Highball can be enjoyed with Maker's Mark Whisky (£6.50/£9.50 for 25/50ml) until March 2021 across all Honest Burgers restaurants
