Bee’s Knees

We don’t know much about the history of this cocktail, other than apocryphal stories about its invention as a way to cover up the acrid flavors of Prohibition-era bathtub gin. It’s first mentioned in print in 1948, in David Embry’s The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. Embry talks some trash about the original equal-parts recipe for the drink, before suggesting it’s better as a variation on the gin sour.

This is a recipe that lends itself well to herbal or floral gins, or Old Tom gin (which is a bit sweeter than your typical London Dry). If you go the Old Tom route, drop the honey down a tad to compensate for the additional sweetness.

Read more

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. You may want to double-strain the drink to remove any little bits of lemon pulp.

More drinks like Bee’s Knees

Honey Bee
Dark rum, Honey syrup, Lemon...
Honeysuckle
Light rum, Honey syrup, Lime...
Marmalade Cocktail
Gin, Lemon, Marmalade...
White Lady
Gin, Triple sec, Lemon...

Get the app, make better drinks

The Cocktail Party app puts this drink – and hundreds more – in your pocket, and tells you what you can make from the ingredients you have at home. It’s the best $3.99 you’ll ever spend on a drink.

App-Devices