Bee's knees explained
See also: the bee's knees.
| Iba: | yes |
| Sourcelink: | bees-knees |
| Bee's knees |
| Type: | cocktail |
| Gin: | yes |
| Served: | straight |
| Garnish: | Garnish with lemon peel |
| Drinkware: | cocktail |
| Ingredients: | - 2oz gin
- 1oz honey syrup
- 1oz lemon juice
- garnish with lemon peel
|
| Prep: | Combine gin, honey syrup and lemon juice into a mixing tin. Shake. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon peel. |
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.
The name comes from prohibition-era slang meaning "the best".
History
The bee's knees cocktail has unclear origins. It was possibly 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.[1]
A 1929 news article attributes the cocktail to Margaret Brown, an American socialite.[2]
In 2017, Barr Hill Gin started an annual event called Bee's Knees Week to promote their product. Bee's Knees Week is the largest sustainability event in the spirits industry, focused on pollinator protection.[3] [4] A 2023 article published by The New York Times credited an increase in the cocktail's popularity in part to Bee's Knees Week.[5]
Variations
- Several different gin brands are variously recommended, among them Barr Hill's for its redundant honey infusion.
- The honey may be diluted 1:1 with warm water to thin the consistency.[6]
- The honey may be diluted 1:1 with simple syrup instead of water.
- A sprig of basil or thyme may be used for garnish instead of lemon peel.
- Some variations contain orange juice.
- Add two dashes of absinthe and two dashes of orange bitters to make a variation called the "oldest living Confederate widow".[7]
Notes and References
- News: Rothbaum . Noah . Frank Meier, The Paris Ritz's Mysterious Bartender Spy . The Daily Beast . 2 August 2015 . The Daily Beast Company LLC . 30 November 2020 .
- News: Bee's Knees Cocktail Recipe . 6 January 2023 . www.diffordsguide.com . en.
- News: Hemenway . Cassandra . Barr Hill Expands, Pledges to Protect Pollinator Habitat . 6 January 2023 . . 4 October 2022.
- Web site: Bee's Knees Week 2022 – Caledonia Spirits . 6 January 2023.
- News: Simonson . Robert . Celebrating the Roaring 2020s With a Bee's Knees Cocktail . 2 March 2023 . The New York Times . 2 February 2023.
- Web site: Westfall. JD. 5 Prohibition Cocktails You Should Try. Q Avenue. 1 September 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160822015247/http://www.q-avenue.com/5-prohibition-cocktails-you-should-try/. 22 August 2016. dead.
- Web site: Deluna. Dani. The Oldest Living Confederate Widow. Home Bar Girl. 20 December 2016. 10 November 2014. 6 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210706154707/https://homebargirl.com/2014/11/10/the-oldest-living-confederate-widow/. live.
