Bee's Knees (cocktail)

A Bees Knees (or Bee's Knees) is a Prohibition Era cocktail made with gin, fresh lemon juice, and honey. It is served shaken and chilled, often with a lemon twist.

For other uses, see The Bee's Knees.
Bee's Knees
IBA official cocktail
TypeCocktail
Primary alcohol by volume
ServedStraight up; without ice
Standard garnishOptionally garnish with lemon or orange zest
Standard drinkware
Cocktail glass
IBA specified
ingredients
  • 52.5ml Dry gin
  • 22.5ml lemon juice
  • 22.5ml orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons honey syrup
PreparationStir honey syrup with lemon and orange juices until it dissolves, add gin and shake with ice. Strain into chilled cocktail glass

The name comes from prohibition-era slang meaning "the best."[1]

History

The Bee's Knees was invented by Frank Meier, an Austrian-born, part Jewish bartender who was the first head bartender at the Ritz in Paris in 1921, when its Cafe Parisian opened its doors.[2]

Variations
A Bee's Knees cocktail made with gin, 1:1 honey syrup, and lemon juice
  • Barr Hill Gin is sometimes recommended for its honey infusion, though other gins may be used (including Barr Hill's Tom Cat gin).[1]
  • The honey may be diluted 1:1 with warm water to thin the consistency.[3]
  • The honey may be diluted 1:1 with simple syrup instead of water.[1]
  • A sprig of basil may be used for garnish instead of lemon peel.[3]
  • Some variations contain orange juice[4]
  • Add 2 dashes of Absinthe and 2 dashes of orange bitters to make a variation called "Oldest Living Confederate Widow"[5]

References
  1. "Bee's Knees". Post Prohibition Handcrafted cocktails. Baltimore: Post Prohibition. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  2. Rothbaum, Noah. "Frank Meier, The Paris Ritz's Mysterious Bartender Spy". The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast Company LLC. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  3. Westfall, JD. "5 Prohibition Cocktails You Should Try". Q Avenue. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  4. Puchko, Kathy. "The Origins Of 10 Popular Prohibition Cocktails". Mental Floss. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  5. Deluna, Dani (10 November 2014). "The Oldest Living Confederate Widow". Home Bar Girl. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
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