Recipes & Cooking Drinks Cocktails The Retro Bee's Knees Cocktail Will Be Your Favorite Sip This Summer 5.0 (2) 1 Review We’ll coach you through how to make a single serving and a party-sized batch for 16. By Karla Walsh Karla Walsh Karla Walsh began her career at FITNESS magazine in 2010. Since, she's worked at a wide variety of publications full-time, including BHG.com, Recipe.com and as a cross-brand social media specialist. From search engine optimization to features for print to video strategy, she has a diverse background in all things magazines. At the start of 2019, Karla chose to pursue full-time freelance writing and has contributed to more than 3 dozen brands. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on May 31, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Kelsey Hansen Prep Time: 5 mins Total Time: 5 mins Servings: 1 Yield: 1 cocktail Jump to Nutrition Facts When we polled 23 drink pros to help us declare our 2024 drink of summer—it’s the 4-Ingredient Lone Ranger Cocktail, by the way—several mixologists mentioned another retro drink that is showing strong signs of making a comeback: The Bee’s Knees Cocktail. Besides streamlined sips like an Aperol Spritz, Hugo Spritz, and Espresso Martini, “a lot of cocktails that have been popular lately—especially at trendy cocktail bars—often contain mysterious and foreign ingredients, a lot of varying recipes and techniques, and general ‘snobbery’ surrounding them,” admits Trevor Nare, beverage manager at Hotel West & Main in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Conversely, a Bee’s Knees has a catchy name, easy to find ingredients (and only 3!), and nearly universal appeal with its fresh flavors. Read on to discover how to make a Bee’s Knees, as well as seven variations on the theme. Claire Marin, founder and head distiller at Pollinator Spirits in Callicoon, New York Trevor Nare, beverage manager at Hotel West & Main in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania Aimee Olexy, owner of Talula's Garden, Talula's Table, The Love, and Talula's Daily Kevin Rathbone, bartender at VASO Rooftop Lounge in Dublin, Ohio What Is a Bee’s Knees? Bright, crisp, refreshing and with subtle sweetness, “a Bee's Knees is a shaken cocktail containing gin, honey, and lemon juice,” explains Kevin Rathbone, bartender at VASO Rooftop Lounge in Dublin, Ohio. Depending on the gin you choose, this drink will also deliver herbal or floral notes. The Bee’s Knees was created during prohibition in the 1920s. The honey and lemon were added to mask the harsh flavor of “bathtub gin,” according to Claire Marin, founder and head distiller at Pollinator Spirits in Callicoon, New York. Frank Meier, a bartender at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, is credited by many with inventing the Bee’s Knees, Nare says, and “Meier later went on to become one of the most famous bartenders and published one of the first popular cocktail books,” The Artistry Of Mixing Drinks. The name was originally a play on the slang of “bee’s knees” as a synonym for “very good” or “the best,” adds Aimee Olexy, owner of Talula's Garden, Talula's Table, The Love, and Talula's Daily, but we love how it also hints at the sweetener: honey. Why We Love a Bee’s Knees Cocktail—And Why We Think You Will, Too As it reaches about 100 years old, why is this cocktail generating buzz again? What’s old is new in many areas of the drink world, Marin says: “There’s lots of interest in more classic retro cocktails.” It’s smooth, simple, sophisticated, and ideal for summer when light, botanical cocktails feel fitting for patio season. As proven by drinks like Matcha Martinis and Bone Broth Cocktails, many imbibers are also seeking ways to “health-ify” their drinks. Unlike sugar, honey comes with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-microbial benefits, Rathbone says. The Bee’s Knees is also easy to adjust to be a spirit-free cocktail. Similar to the “you might also like” on Netflix and Amazon, we couldn’t resist asking our panel of experts who might enjoy a Bee’s Knees Cocktail. Fans of the following classic cocktails will probably also dig the Bee’s Knees: A citrusy cocktail, like a French 75, Margarita, or Sour. A classic Gin and Tonic. A liquor-forward drink, such as a Negroni or Vesper. Cocktail Basics You Need to Know to Be an At-Home Mixologist What’s in a Bee’s Knees Cocktail? A classic Bee’s Knees asks for just three elements: Gin, lemon, and honey. Once you’ve mastered the original, mix things up with colorful garnishes and variations (more on those below the recipe). Gin: Juniper-forward London dry gin is the most traditional for this cocktail, but a more floral botanical gin is also lovely. Choose based on your personal preference. If you’re seeking specific gin brand recommendations, the drink pros we spoke to give a stamp of approval to Nolet's, Hendricks, and Barr Hill; the latter is finished with honey, making it particularly fitting for a Bee’s Knees. To turn your drink violet, consider Empress 1908 Gin. Lemon: For one or two Bee’s Knees cocktails, one lemon will be plenty. Slice it in half, then juice one portion and cut the other half into slices or wedges to use as a garnish. For a party-size pitcher cocktail, you’ll need enough lemons for 1 ½ cups juice, plus extra for garnishes, if desired. One average lemon usually yields about 3 tablespoons of juice, so round up 10 lemons for the 16-serving variation. Honey syrup: Simple syrup made with equal parts white sugar and water is traditional in many cocktail recipes. To give a nod to the bees, try a honey syrup here. To make honey syrup, in a small saucepan, heat ¾ cup honey and ¾ cup water until honey dissolves. Chill until ready to serve. Garnishes: A slice or wedge of lemon is very fitting. Our mixology pros have additional ideas if you’d like to dress things up. Consider adding one or more of the following to your glass: A sprig of fresh lavender, rosemary, or mint. An edible flower or two. A skewer of blackberries or blueberries. How to Make a Bee’s Knees Cocktail Prep your honey syrup ahead of making the cocktail. Just as a reminder, you'll need to heat ¾ cup honey and ¾ cup water in a small saucepan until the honey dissolves. Cool before making your bee's knees cocktail recipe. Ingredients 1 oz ice 1 1/2 ounces gin 3/4 ounce lemon juice 3/4 ounce honey syrup 1 slice lemon Directions In a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice, combine gin, lemon juice, and Honey Syrup. Cover and shake until very cold. Strain liquid into a chilled cocktail glass or an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon slice Test Kitchen Tip: Like your drinks on the bubbly side? Top your Bee’s Knees with 1 ½ ounces of chilled club soda. Bonus: This will make the alcohol amount per ounce slightly lower since the sparkling water stretches things out. Bee's Knees Cocktail Variations Before you fly off and make your Bee’s Knees, we couldn’t resist sharing a few more expert-approved twists: Pitcher cocktail: In a pitcher, combine one 750-milliliter bottle gin, 1 ½ cups lemon juice, and 1 recipe Honey Syrup (using ¾ cup each honey and water). Chill until ready to serve. For a sparkling Bee’s Knees pitcher cocktail, just before serving, add 3 cups of chilled club soda. Serve over ice. Makes 16 servings N/A Bee’s Knees: For a spirit-free version, replace the gin with an herbal tea (lemon or lemon-ginger are Marin’s faves), or use a non-alcoholic gin alternative from a brand like Seedlip or Lyre's. Lower-ABV Bee’s Knees: Feature a crisp and floral white wine, like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, as a substitute for gin. Gold Rush Cocktail: Make the Bee’s Knees recipe above, just with bourbon instead of gin. Brown Derby Cocktail: Create a bourbon Bee’s Knees, and use grapefruit juice in place of the lemon juice. Bee Sting: Muddle a few slices of jalapeño in the bottom of the cocktail shaker before adding ice and the rest of the ingredients. This will infuse each drop with a hint of peppery essence. Spicy Bee’s Knees: Create your honey syrup using hot honey instead of regular honey. If desired, rim the glass with Tajín. Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 151 Calories 0g Fat 15g Carbs 0g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 1 Calories 150.5 % Daily Value * Total Fat 0g 0% Saturated Fat 0g 0% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 8.3mg 0% Total Carbohydrate 15g 5% Dietary Fiber 0.4g 1% Total Sugars 13.6g Protein 0.2g 0% Vitamin D 0mcg 0% Vitamin C 7.1mg 8% Calcium 6.2mg 0% Iron 0.1mg 1% Potassium 43.7mg 1% Fatty acids, total trans 0g Vitamin D 0IU Alanine 0g Arginine 0g Ash 0.1g Aspartic acid 0g Caffeine 0mg Carotene, alpha 0.1mcg Choline, total 1.9mg Copper, Cu 0mg Cystine 0g Energy 630.3kJ Fluoride, F 29.2mcg Folate, total 3.1mcg Glutamic acid 0g Glycine 0g Histidine 0g Isoleucine 0g Leucine 0g Lysine 0g Methionine 0g Magnesium, Mg 2.9mg Manganese, Mn 0mg Niacin 0.1mg Phosphorus, P 5.5mg Pantothenic acid 0mg Phenylalanine 0g Proline 0g Retinol 0mcg Selenium, Se 0.2mcg Serine 0g Theobromine 0mg Threonine 0g Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.1mg Tryptophan 0g Tyrosine 0g Valine 0g Vitamin A, IU 9.1IU Vitamin A, RAE 0.5mcg Vitamin B-12 0mcg Vitamin B-6 0mg Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 0mcg Water 97.5g Zinc, Zn 0.1mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.