Last Updated on August 22, 2023 by David Michael
Bee’s Knees
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Few cocktails can boast the combination of history, elegance, and refreshing taste quite like the Bee’s Knees Cocktail. This classic drink, with its unique blend of gin, honey, and citrus, has been a favorite among cocktail enthusiasts for decades.
Born in the Roaring 20s the Bee’s Knees was originally a very different cocktail. Popular in speakeasy bars the drink was very heavy on the lemon juice and honey in order to mask the unappealing taste of bootleg gin. With the repeal of prohibition the quality of alcohol rose and no longer needed to be masked. Todays Bee’s Knees has a balance of flavors in line with a daiquiri or sour – an absolute delight.
Bee’s Knees Recipe
2 ounces gin
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
½ ounce honey
Garnish: 1 lemon twist
In a cocktail shaker combine the gin, lemon juice, and honey with ice.
Shake well.
Strain into a coupe.
Garnish with lemon twist.
The Bee’s Knees Cocktail stands as a testament to the artistry of mixology and the joy of indulging in a finely crafted drink. With its timeless appeal, intriguing history, and harmonious blend of flavors, this cocktail continues to capture the hearts and palates of cocktail enthusiasts around the world. Cheers to the classic and captivating Bee’s Knees Cocktail!
Be sure to try the Bee’s Knees vodka based cousin, The Lemon Drop Martini.
Recommended Products for the Bee’s Knees
Riedel Veritas Coupe Glasses
These are my favorite coupe glasses. They are a nice size (they easily hold a double recipe of the Bee’s Knees). And they look incredibly elegant. Use them for Champagne, or anywhere you would use a martini glass.
Cocktail Kingdom Essential Cocktail Set
Cocktail Kingdom is well known in the craft cocktail world for high quality tools. This starter set has everything you need to shake or stir drinks: Weighted Boston shaker, mixing glass, Hawthorne strainer, Japanese style jigger, and a bar spoon.
White Linen Cocktail Napkins
The perfect finishing touch. I love these classic hemstitched linen napkins. You can never have too many white linen napkins, and these come in an amazing assortment of colors to match any decor.
Norpro Stainless Steel Citrus Press
For the occasional cocktail I rely on my Norpro juicer. It’s a great heavy duty stainless steel and has lasted me many many years of drink making. It handles oranges, lemons, and limes easily – it’s a bit small for grapefruits.
Zulay Professional Heavy Duty Citrus Juicer
If you need to create plenty of juice with ease, the Zulay professional citrus juice press is our top pick for best manual citrus juicer. With a large sized juicing element this makes short work of any citrus – limes, lemons, oranges, and grapefruits. The large basket makes this one of the best juicers for grapefruit.
The heavy cast iron construction not only adds stability to this countertop juicer, it adds weight to the pressing action making juicing easier. Rubber feet helps keep this juicer from sliding around. This is perfect for large capacity users, even suitable for bars, restaurants, and commercial use. The stainless steel juicing components are removable and dishwasher safe. Looking for the best citrus press? I feel this is one of the best you can buy. If you need a lot of juice I recommend the Zulay professional citrus juicer.
