Some people come home from vacation with souvenirs. Michael Kurtz returned from South America with a burning desire.On his adventures, he had spotted an intriguing pepper-infused honey inside a Brazilian pizzeria and was adamant in trying to replicate his own version. The process it turned out would take him seven years. Meanwhile, Kurtz started a job bartending at Greenpoint pizzeria Paulie Gee’s.
One thing led to another and soon Kurtz found himself bottling his eponymous honey and using Paulie Gee’s kitchen as a home base. (FYI: You can order a bottle of hot honey from the bar!) Then, he appeared on the menu: the appropriately-named Hellboy features a mozzarella-sopressata pie topped with Mike’s Hot Honey.
Lately, the small-batch honey has been all over the (heat) map from Saveur to Food Curated to Daily Candy…and now to With Love, From Brooklyn. For good reason. It’s unlike anything you’ll find inside a honey bear. Kurtz sources his honey from a local apiary in Pennsylvania while the fiery kicker is a secret blend of Brazilian peppers that lend a red tint.
Fit for savory or sweet pairings, we suggest drizzling this over pizza (natch) or fried chicken—or perhaps use it as an unexpected accouterment to a cheese plate or vanilla ice cream sundae.