Snagged recipe from Regarding Cocktails 🛟 (legendary bartender, Sasha Petraske):
Bees don’t drink a lot…just enough to get a buzz.
Get ready to raise your glasses because Bee’s Knees Week is here! This week-long celebration is all about honoring the most fabulous cocktail from the Prohibition era. Also, you can help Save the Bees with Bar Hill Gin!
The Bee’s Knees, a classic Prohibition-era drink, has an interesting history. It emerged during the 1920s when the United States was under alcohol prohibition. People turned to creative concoctions to mask the taste of bootlegged spirits.
The cocktail’s name, “Bee’s Knees,” was a popular slang phrase of the time, meaning “the best.” To make the drink more palatable, bartenders mixed gin with honey and fresh lemon juice, creating a refreshing and sweet-tart flavor profile that masked the harsh taste of bathtub gin.
Bee’s Knees
- 2 oz gin
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 3/4 oz honey syrup (3:1 by volume)
- Add ingredients to shaker with ice
- Shake vigorously
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
Alcohol: 14% Sugars: 14 g
Sweetness: 4/10
The Bee’s Knees gained popularity in speakeasies, where patrons gathered to enjoy forbidden beverages and socialize. The simple yet delightful recipe made it a hit, and it soon became a symbol of the Roaring Twenties’ rebellious spirit.
As Prohibition ended in 1933, the Bee’s Knees faded into obscurity, but it experienced a resurgence in the craft cocktail renaissance of the early 21st century. Bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts rediscovered this classic, appreciating its timeless charm and balance of flavors.
Our favorite Bee’s Knees videos:
Steve the Bartender:
The Educated Barfly: