A Bee’s Knees cocktail is made with only three ingredients: gin, honey, and lemon. Simple, sweet, and super delicious!
You don’t need a complicated cocktail to have a delicious one. A Bee’s Knees cocktail is made with just three ingredients – gin, honey, and lemon – but together they create a magical drink.
Even if you don’t think of yourself as a gin drinker, a Bee’s Knees is worth trying. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and sour, with herbal notes from the gin and a rich, sweet flavor from the honey
What Kind of Gin Should I Use?
The Bee’s Knees does not demand fancy ingredients. While I wouldn’t recommend anything with a handle or in a plastic bottle, any of your mid-range gins will do the trick. Broker’s, Boodles, and Bombay are all nice examples.
What Kind of Honey Should I Use?
There are so many different kinds of honey out there – so, so many. Yes, you can absolutely use the honey that comes in a bear at your local grocery store, and that will make a fine drink. But if you’re really into (or have been itching to try) some artisanal or local or whathaveyou honey, this is a perfect application.
It’s a lot of fun to see how different kinds of honey change the character of the cocktail. I like the cocktail with a darker honey, which adds a more robust, almost molasses-y flavor. If you want to buy something online, the Washington Buckwheat honey from Bee Raw and the Aroeira honey from Bee Seasonal are both great choices.
What Kind of Glass Should I Use?
I’ve seen this served in a cocktail glass, no ice, but I prefer it in an old fashioned glass, with one big ice cube. This keeps the drink cool, although it will water it down if you’re not a fast drinker.
Try a Twist!
As I’ve said, this drink only needs three ingredients, but you can add other ingredients if you want to mix it up. My favorite way to make a Bee’s Knees is with a dash of lavender bitters, which adds a nice floral twist to the proceedings. If you have a favorite kind of bitters, feel free to experiment! That kind of discovery is part of the fun of making drinks.
More 3-Ingredient Cocktails to Try!
Bee’s Knees Cocktail Recipe
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cocktail
The honey syrup makes enough for 8 drinks. To make enough honey syrup for just one drink, combine 1 tablespoon (or 1/2 oz) honey with 2 tablespoons (or 1 oz) of hot water.
Ingredients
For the honey syrup (makes 1 cup, enough for 8 cocktails)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2/3 cup hot water
For the cocktail
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ounce honey syrup
- 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
- Ice
- Lavender bitters (optional)
- Lemon peel, for garnish
Method
1 Make the honey syrup: Combine the honey and hot water. Stir until incorporated. The syrup can be refrigerated for up to a month or more.
2 Make the drink: Add the gin, 1 ounce of the honey syrup, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake for about 30 seconds, or until a frost forms on the shaker. Put a single large ice cube into a cocktail or old fashioned glass. Strain drink into a glass and garnish with lemon peel. Enjoy!
