Bee's knees

Bee's knees
	A bee's knees cocktail made with gin, 1:1 honey syrup, lemon juice and orange juice
Type	Cocktail
Ingredients	2oz gin; 1oz honey syrup; 1oz lemon juice; 1oz orange juice; garnish with lemon peel;
Standard drinkware	Cocktail glass
Standard garnish	Garnish with lemon peel
Served	Straight up: chilled, without ice
Preparation	Combine gin, honey syrup, lemon juice and orange 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".^[1]

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.^[2]

A 1929 news article attributes the cocktail to Margaret Brown, an American socialite.^[3]

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.^[4]^[5] A 2023 article published by The New York Times credited an increase in the cocktail's popularity in part to Bee's Knees Week.^[6]

Variations

Several different gin brands are variously recommended, among them Barr Hill's for its honey infusion.^[1]
The honey may be diluted 1:1 with warm water to thin the consistency.^[7]
The honey may be diluted 1:1 with simple syrup instead of water.^[1]
A sprig of basil or thyme may be used for garnish instead of lemon peel.^[7]
Some variations contain orange juice.^[8]
Add two dashes of absinthe and two dashes of orange bitters to make a variation called the "oldest living Confederate widow".^[9]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Bee's Knees". Post Prohibition Handcrafted cocktails. Baltimore: Post Prohibition. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
^ Rothbaum, Noah (2 August 2015). "Frank Meier, The Paris Ritz's Mysterious Bartender Spy". The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast Company LLC. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
^ "Bee's Knees Cocktail Recipe". www.diffordsguide.com. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
^ Hemenway, Cassandra (4 October 2022). "Barr Hill Expands, Pledges to Protect Pollinator Habitat". The Montpelier Bridge. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
^ "Bee's Knees Week 2022 – Caledonia Spirits". Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
^ Simonson, Robert (2 February 2023). "Celebrating the Roaring 2020s With a Bee's Knees Cocktail". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
^ ^a ^b Westfall, JD. "5 Prohibition Cocktails You Should Try". Q Avenue. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
^ Puchko, Kathy (23 February 2016). "The Origins Of 10 Popular Prohibition Cocktails". Mental Floss. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
^ Deluna, Dani (10 November 2014). "The Oldest Living Confederate Widow". Home Bar Girl. Archived from the original on 6 July 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2016.

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[PPHL-1] "Bee's Knees". Post Prohibition Handcrafted cocktails. Baltimore: Post Prohibition. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2016.

[2] Rothbaum, Noah (2 August 2015). "Frank Meier, The Paris Ritz's Mysterious Bartender Spy". The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast Company LLC. Retrieved 30 November 2020.

[Diffords-3] "Bee's Knees Cocktail Recipe". www.diffordsguide.com. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

[HemenwayBridge2022-4] Hemenway, Cassandra (4 October 2022). "Barr Hill Expands, Pledges to Protect Pollinator Habitat". The Montpelier Bridge. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

[Beeskneesweek-5] "Bee's Knees Week 2022 – Caledonia Spirits". Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.

[6] Simonson, Robert (2 February 2023). "Celebrating the Roaring 2020s With a Bee's Knees Cocktail". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 March 2023.

[QAvenue-7] Westfall, JD. "5 Prohibition Cocktails You Should Try". Q Avenue. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.

[Mental-8] Puchko, Kathy (23 February 2016). "The Origins Of 10 Popular Prohibition Cocktails". Mental Floss. Retrieved 3 September 2016.

[9] Deluna, Dani (10 November 2014). "The Oldest Living Confederate Widow". Home Bar Girl. Archived from the original on 6 July 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2016.

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v t e International Bartenders Association official cocktails
List of IBA official cocktails
The Unforgettables	Alexander Americano Angel face Aviation Between the sheets Boulevardier Brandy crusta Casino Clover Club Daiquiri Dry martini Gin fizz Hanky panky John Collins Last word Manhattan Martinez Mary Pickford Monkey gland Negroni Old fashioned Paradise Planter's punch Porto flip Ramos fizz Remember the Maine Rusty nail Sazerac Sidecar Stinger Tuxedo Vieux Carré Whiskey sour White lady
Contemporary Classics	Bellini Black Russian Bloody Mary Caipirinha Cardinale Champagne cocktail Corpse reviver #2 Cosmopolitan Cuba libre French 75 French Connection Garibaldi Grasshopper Hemingway special Horse's neck Irish coffee Kir Lemon drop martini Long Island iced tea Mai Tai Margarita Mimosa Mint julep Mojito Moscow mule Piña colada Pisco sour Rabo de galo Sea breeze Sex on the beach Singapore sling Tequila sunrise Vesper Zombie
New Era Drinks	Bee's knees Bramble Canchanchara Chartreuse swizzle Dark 'n' stormy Don's special daiquiri Espresso martini Fernandito French martini Gin basil smash Grand margarita IBA Tiki Illegal Jungle Bird Missionary's downfall Naked and famous New York sour Old Cuban Paloma Paper plane Penicillin Pisco punch Porn star martini Russian spring punch Sherry cobbler South Side Spicy Fifty Spritz Suffering bastard Three dots and a dash Tipperary Tommy's margarita Trinidad sour Ve.n.to
See also	List of cocktails List of cocktails (alphabetical)

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