A bee's knees is a tart and crisp cocktail made with gin, honey, and fresh lemon juice. Serve bee's knees shaken and chilled with a lemon peel garnish at your next spring party.
Recipe summary
Flavor: Tart, crisp, citrusy, floral. Like a gin sour that's made with honey instead of sugar.
Origin: The bee's knees is a prohibition-era cocktail whose name comes from the popular phrase of the 1920s. Calling something "the bee's knees" meant that it was excellent or the best.
Great for: Spring and summer celebrations.
You may also like: Bee's Knees Spritz or Spiced Orange Ginger Ale Cocktail
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Gin - You can't go wrong with a London dry gin. It's a classic that's unsweetened and has an herbal bite. I find that London dry balances well with the sweetness of the honey in a bee's knees. Modern gins are often infused with different spices, citrus, and aromatics, which can pair well with the lemon and honey in a bee's knees.
- Lemon juice - Fresh squeezed lemon juice adds a bright, citrusy flavor that's far superior to bottled lemon juice. Since this cocktail is made with only three ingredients, it's important that each one is of a high quality for best flavor.
- Honey - Use your favorite honey in this recipe. Floral honey or citrus honey can work well depending on the flavors you prefer.
- Water - A small amount of water is added to the honey to create a honey syrup, which incorporates more readily into the cocktail when shaken.
How to make a bee's knees
- Add ice to a cocktail shaker.
- Microwave water and honey until warm. Stir to create a syrup. Add honey syrup, lemon juice, and gin to the cocktail shaker.
- Shake until chilled, about 15 seconds.
- Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with lemon peel.
Tips and tricks
Add ice to your shaker - A bee's knees cocktail is served "up" which means it's shaken with ice to chill it, then strained into a serving glass without ice.
Making honey syrup - Add honey and water to a microwave safe bowl, then microwave in 10 second increments until warm and thin. Stir until completely incorporated. If your honey syrup is hot, allow it to cool slightly before adding to the shaker. Hot honey syrup can water down your cocktail.
Shake until frosty - When shaking ingredients in a cocktail shaker, shake until the outside of the shaker is frosty-looking and cold. This should take about 15 seconds.
Use a coupe glass - A bee's knees cocktail is traditionally served up in a coupe glass (like shown). If you don't have coupe glasses on hand, martini glasses work great as a substitute. Here are the glasses I use for my bee's knees: Vintage Coupe Glasses Set of 2
Frequently asked questions
The bee's knees cocktail was created in the 1920s and the name comes from a common phrase during the prohibition era. Calling something "the bee's knees" meant that it was excellent.
A bee's knees cocktail is crisp and sweet, with floral and citrus notes. It's perfect for spring and summer celebrations but can be enjoyed year round.
- Spring celebrations
- Bee themed baby shower
- Spring bridal shower
- Engagement party
- Weddings
Yes, simple syrup or maple syrup would work as a substitute. By substituting the honey you'd be making a gin sour. A gin sour is made with gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
Yes. Honey on its own is very thick and doesn't incorporate easily into a cocktail. A small amount of water (and heat) must be added to thin the honey and create a honey syrup. Honey syrup, much like simple syrup, incorporates easily into cocktails.
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📖 Recipe
Bee's Knees
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ tablespoon water
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- 2 ounces gin
Instructions
- Add honey and water to a microwave safe container and heat in 10 second increments until warm. Stir to combine and create a honey syrup.
- Add honey syrup, lemon juice, and gin to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until chilled, about 15 seconds.
- Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with lemon peel.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Honey substitutes: Honey can be substituted with simple syrup to make a gin sour if desired.
- Best gin to use: London dry gin or modern gin works well in this recipe.
- To prepare for a crowd: Make a large batch of honey syrup to prepare multiple cocktails with ease. Add 2 parts honey to 1 part water and microwave until warmed and thin.
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