This Fall, we’re serving our favorite Prohibition Era cocktail affectionately called the Bee’s Knees. Legend has it that the Bee’s Knees cocktail was introduced and spread around the globe by the infamous Unsinkable Margaret “Molly” Brown. With just three simple ingredients - gin, lemon, and honey - the Bee’s Knees will have you and your guests buzzing with delight!
MAKE THE BEE’S KNEES
WHY THE BEE’S KNEES SHOULD BE UNSINKABLE FROM YOUR COCKTAIL MENU
The Bee’s Knees is so Simple to Make
With its combination of gin, lemon, and honey, the Bee’s Knees cocktail is easy to make and even easier to sip. There is hardly ever a time when you won’t have the ingredients right on hand to whip up this classic. And of course, making it with Pomp & Whimsy Gin Liqueur creates an even lovelier, fruit-forward version of the drink due to the exotic fruits and florals (like lychee, orange, raspberry, and lavender) that are infused into the liqueur. It’s also a slightly lower ABV, so you can have two if you like!
2 oz Pomp & Whimsy Gin Liqueur
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
¼ oz honey
lemon twist
Add the Pomp & Whimsy Gin Liqueur, lemon juice, and honey to a shaker filled with ice. Shake until the cocktail is well chilled and strain into a small cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
The Bee’s Knees is Very Fun to Play With
Delicious as is, there are also lots of ways to make the Bee’s Knees cocktail your own. For example, use lime instead of lemon for a drink called The Business, swap the honey for a raspberry syrup or liqueur for a fresh take on the Pink Lady, or add sparkling wine for a fancy Bee’s Knees French 75 variation.
Keeping to the Unsinkable theme, you can also play around with herbs for garnish to add a little aromatic intrigue. Try a sprig of thyme or freshly picked lavender. The options are endless!
The Bee’s Knees is an Instant Crowd Pleaser
We’ve never met anyone who doesn’t love this cocktail! So, if you’re planning a menu for a crowd, think about serving the Bee’s Knees. Luckily the basic recipe is well suited to batch with one simple modification: to ensure the honey is evenly dispersed; we suggest first making a honey syrup by dissolving the honey in equal parts warm water. The following recipe makes 25 servings and can be prepared several hours in advance.
2x 750ml bottles of Pomp & Whimsy Gin Liqueur
2½ cups fresh lemon juice, plus the peel from 1-2 lemons
¾ cup honey
¾ cup hot water
Begin by preparing the honey syrup. Stir the honey into the hot water until fully dissolved. For a richer flavor, add the peel (zest part only) of 1-2 lemons to the syrup to infuse while it cools. Strain.
To make the cocktail, add the Pomp & Whimsy Gin Liqueur, lemon juice, and cooled honey syrup to a large pitcher and chill. When ready to serve, add ice and a few thin lemon slices for visual appeal to the pitcher. Serve in punch glasses or tumblers.
So, if you are headed to a party, be sure to bring along a bottle of Pomp & Whimsy Gin Liqueur (or two) and some local honey for your host, so you can teach them how to mix this modern take on a classic.
Gin-Gin!