This Bee’s Knees is one of those classic cocktails that’s hard not to love. It’s got gin, fresh lemon juice, and a rich honey syrup, and it’s perfectly balanced between tart and sweet with a beautiful golden color.
About this recipe
The Bee’s Knees is a Prohibition-era cocktail made with gin, lemon juice, and honey. The honey syrup is the key to the flavor. I use a 2:1 ratio which is two parts honey to one part water. This gives you a more concentrated syrup that carries the honey flavor through the drink without you needing to use too much of it. A 1:1 syrup works but the honey flavor is more diluted.
The lemon and honey balance is what makes this cocktail so good. The lemon cuts the sweetness of the honey and the gin ties everything together with its botanicals. It’s a floral, citrusy weet cocktail that works really well as an aperitif or after-dinner drink. I suggest using a London Dry gin here because the juniper-forward botanicals work beautifully with honey and lemon. For more gin cocktail ideas, browse my gin cocktail recipes.
Method
- Chill a coupe glass in the freezer while you make the drink.
- Add the gin, lemon juice, and honey syrup. Shake hard for about 15 seconds until well chilled.
- Strain into the coupe glass, then garnish with a lemon twist or lemon wheel.
Tips
- Make the honey syrup ahead. It needs to be completely cool before it goes in the shaker. Warm syrup will melt the ice too quickly.
- Fresh lemon juice only!
- Shake hard. A good hard shake chills the drink and slightly dilutes it, which softens the honey and brings the whole drink together.
- Try different gins. A floral gin like one with elderflower or lavender botanicals works particularly well with the honey. A classic London Dry is the traditional choice though.
- Adjust to taste. If you like it more tart, add a splash more lemon. If you like it sweeter, a touch more honey syrup.
How to make honey syrup
Combine 2 parts honey with 1 part warm water and stir until fully dissolved. Let it cool completely before using. It keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks. The 2:1 ratio gives you a richer, more concentrated syrup and you don’t need as much of it in the drink and the honey flavor comes through more clearly.
Related recipes
- Honey Lavender Simple Syrup – great swap for the honey syrup in this drink
- Lavender Gin Sour – floral and delicate
- Elderflower Gin Sour – another elegant gin sour
- Thyme Gimlet – herby and citrusy
- Raspberry Gin Sour – fruity with a silky foam top
Bee’s Knees Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 oz London Dry gin
- 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
- 0.75 oz honey syrup 2:1 honey to water
- ice
- lemon twist or lemon wheel to garnish
Instructions
- Chill a coupe glass in the freezer.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Add the gin, lemon juice, and honey syrup.
- Shake hard for about 15 seconds until well chilled.
- Strain into the chilled coupe glass.
- Garnish with a lemon twist or lemon wheel.
I hope you love this as much as I do! 🙂