Prohibition-era cocktail invented to mask the taste of bathtub gin.
Why you are pouring this tonight
The Bee’s Knees is a Prohibition-era cocktail invented to mask the taste of bathtub gin. Now we use it because it is one of the great gin sours. Gin, lemon, honey syrup, served up in a coupe. Three ingredients, three minutes, a quietly elegant drink that has outlived its original justification by a century.
The honey syrup is the technique most home cooks miss. Don’t try to use raw honey straight in the cocktail; it won’t combine and you’ll get a clumpy puddle. Make a 3:1 honey-to-hot-water syrup ahead of time and keep it in a sterilised bottle in the fridge. Use a London Dry gin (Beefeater is fine, Plymouth if you want a softer version). Shake hard with ice for twelve seconds, double-strain into a chilled coupe, lemon twist expressed over the surface. Pair with goat’s cheese, brie, cheese plates in general.
What to pour it alongside
Goats cheese, brie, cheese plates in general.
Notes
Don’t try to use raw honey straight, it won’t combine. Make honey syrup first (recipe in our syrup guide) and stir until smooth.
The recipe
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