The Bee’s Knees cocktail is a Prohibition-Era drink made with gin, lemon juice, and honey syrup (honey and water). It’s a simple classic cocktail, sweetened with real honey and balanced with citrus. It’s really refreshing and perfect for gin lovers.
Other than being a Prohibition-Era drink, I can’t seem to find anything about it other than the meaning behind the drink’s name—a nod to the time in history it originated. Bee’s knees is a 1900’s slang term for ‘the best’ or ‘awesome’ and of course inspired by the honey syrup.
Best Gin for the Bee’s Knees
The Bee’s Knees is not necessarily a gin-forward cocktail. The honey and lemon are very complimentary and will balance the drink. London dry gins such as Beefeater or Bombay Sapphire are both more classic juniper-forward options.
There are numerous modern-day gins on the market with a variety of flavors and infusions. Hendrick’s is very smooth and offers more citrus-forward notes. I like Bar Hill gin (made with juniper and raw honey), Plymouth gin, and The Botanist Islay Dry Gin. All are great options with well-balanced botanicals and flavors.
How to Make Honey Syrup
Honey simple syrup is made with equal parts honey and water. Honey syrup can be used in cocktails similarly to classic simple syrup (sugar and water), adding unique character and sweetness. It’s easier to make than simple syrup as the honey will easily dissolve in warm water, unlike sugar.
To make honey syrup, heat 1/4 cup of water in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until warm. Stir in 1/4 cup of honey until fully dissolved. The proper consistency is a little thicker than water when at room temp.
You can make extra syrup and store it in the fridge for about a month. The honey syrup recipe above is good for about 1/2 a cup or 4 cocktails.
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Bee’s Knees Cocktail Recipe
- Prep Time: 5
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cocktail
- Cuisine: American
Description
The bee’s knees cocktail is a classic Prohibition-Era cocktail made with gin, lemon juice, and honey syrup.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- 3/4 ounces fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 ounces honey syrup
honey syrup (makes 1/2 cup)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- To make honey syrup, combine warm water and honey in a glass and stir until the honey is fully dissolved. I usually heat water in a glass measuring cup in the microwave for 20-30 seconds and stir in honey.
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass with plenty of ice. Shake or stir vigorously for 20 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Notes
Don’t like gin? This can also be made with vodka.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 219
- Sugar: 17.9g
- Sodium: 6mg
- Fat: 0.2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 0.1g
- Protein: 0.2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: bee’s knees cocktail
This was delicious. I really enjoyed that I could still taste each component.