The Bee’s Knees was one of the first craft cocktails I ever had the pleasure of drinking some ten years ago when the cocktail trend first started to pop up in a few restaurants and bars. Only having had basic mixed drinks like a vodka and gin soda at this point, I fell head over heels with the art of mixology and have had few bartenders mix a Bee’s Knees as expertly as that very first one.
This inspired me to start making cocktails at home, firstly because it’s an expensive habit to form (especially if you favour premium spirits), and secondly because it’s a very versatile and easy skill to foster. Once you take the time to build your bar and tools you need, you’d be amazed at how luxurious your home cocktail game can become, even with a limited bar rail.
The Bee’s Knees is the perfect example. With only three fine ingredients, a cocktail shaker and a little elbow grease, you can have yourself a fancy cocktail you’d pay at least $14 for at a bar. It’s also one of the most healthy cocktails you can choose these days, since it has honey syrup instead of simple syrup which uses refined sugar.
So let’s make some cocktails shall we?
BEE’S KNEES COCKTAIL:
INGREDIENTS
2 oz Gin
¾ oz Lemon Juice
1½ oz Honey Syrup
METHOD
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with large chunks of ice (these will prevent the mixture from getting diluted too heavily with water). Shake mixture until well chilled and double stain into a chilled coupé. Garnish with chamomile flowers or lemon rind and enjoy.
HONEY SYRUP:
Combine equal parts clover honey and water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Decide how much syrup to make based on how much you’re planning to drink, if you’re making this cocktail for a large party, make sure to make enough! You can use pretty much any honey you want, including wildflower, clover, and lavender; the better quality honey you can find, the better your syrup will taste. Simmer for five minutes and remove from heat to cool. Once mixture is cool, pour into a bottle and refrigerate.
