The Bees Knees is a Prohibition-era gin sour that turns three pantry staples into something luxurious. Gin, lemon, and honey, shaken hard and served in a chilled Nick and Nora. Honey rounds the gin's botanicals, lemon cuts through, and the result is a cocktail that tastes far more refined than its three ingredients suggest. We build ours on Naught Australian Dry Gin, whose juniper-forward, native-botanical backbone holds up beautifully against raw honey.
INGREDIENTS:
- 50ml Australian Dry Gin
- 20ml Lemon Juice
- 20ml Honey Syrup
GARNISH:
- Bee Pollen
INSTRUCTIONS:
Add all of the ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake hard for 15 seconds. Double strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass.
To finish, dust the surface with a fine sprinkle of bee pollen.
The Bees Knees: a quick history
The Bees Knees was born in the 1920s during American Prohibition, when bootleg gin was rough and bartenders needed sweeteners strong enough to mask it. Honey did the job, and lemon balanced it out. The drink is most often credited to Frank Meier, head bartender at the Ritz Paris, who included it in his 1934 book The Artistry of Mixing Drinks. The name itself comes from 1920s American slang, where "the bee's knees" meant the very best.
A century later, with the gin you'd actually want to drink neat, the Bees Knees has shed its disguise. It's no longer a way to hide bad spirit, it's a way to show off a good one.
You'll also love
- Clover Club, another Prohibition-era gin sour, with raspberry and egg white
- Naught Southside, gin, lime, mint and sugar, the country-club cousin
- Gimlet, the two-ingredient gin classic, lime instead of lemon
Frequently asked questions
What is a Bees Knees cocktail?
A Bees Knees is a classic gin sour made with gin, fresh lemon, and honey syrup. It dates to American Prohibition in the 1920s and is served straight up in a chilled coupe or Nick and Nora glass.
How do you make honey syrup?
Honey syrup is equal parts honey and warm water, stirred until the honey dissolves. The water thins the honey so it shakes and mixes evenly with the gin and lemon.
What is the best gin for a Bees Knees?
A juniper-forward dry gin works best. Honey can flatten softer, floral gins. Naught Australian Dry Gin has the structure and native botanical character to hold its own against the honey.
Why is it called a Bees Knees?
"The bee's knees" was 1920s American slang for something excellent, the equivalent of saying something is the absolute best. The drink was named at the height of the expression's popularity.
