Bee's knees

Bee’s knees is a classic prohibition-era cocktail made with gin, honey, and lemon. It has a sweet and citrusy flavor profile and is often served chilled.

Bee’s knees recipe

• 2oz gin
• 1oz honey syrup
• 1oz lemon juice
• garnish with lemon peel

Combine gin, honey syrup and lemon juice into a mixing tin. Shake. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon peel.

Shaking a Bee’s Knees the right way

1. Chill a cocktail glass first so the drink stays brisk and silky from the first sip to the last. A few minutes in the freezer works well, or fill it with ice water while you prep.
2. Add your gin, fresh lemon juice, and honey syrup to a shaker tin. If your honey syrup has been sitting awhile, give it a quick stir first so it pours evenly and blends smoothly.
3. Fill the shaker generously with ice. Shake hard for about 10 to 15 seconds, until the tin feels very cold in your hands. This both chills the drink and gives it the right light texture.
4. Empty the chilling ice water from the glass, if using. Double strain the cocktail into the chilled glass for a cleaner, more polished finish without tiny ice shards or pulp.
5. Express a strip of lemon peel over the surface by bending it gently skin-side down to release the oils, then either drop it in or rest it neatly on the rim.
6. Serve immediately, straight up and ice-free, while the balance of citrus, botanicals, and honey is at its brightest.

Why the Bee’s Knees tastes so appealing

This drink is a simple sour, but the honey gives it a softer, rounder sweetness than plain sugar syrup. The lemon keeps it lively and bright, while the gin brings herbal, floral, or juniper-forward notes depending on the bottle you choose. If it tastes too sharp, use a slightly richer honey syrup; if it feels too sweet, a touch more lemon usually fixes it.

Pro tips for a cleaner, brighter cocktail

A London dry gin makes a more crisp and classic version, while a softer contemporary gin can turn it more floral and delicate. Fresh lemon juice matters here more than almost anything else. For honey syrup, a 1:1 mix of honey and warm water is common and easy to shake into the drink without clumping.

Prohibition-era roots and a bit of uncertainty

The Bee’s Knees is generally linked to the Prohibition era in the 1920s. It is often said that honey and lemon helped cover the rough edges of bathtub gin, though that origin story is hard to prove completely. The name comes from a popular slang phrase of the time meaning “the best,” which helped cement its Jazz Age charm.

A booze-free honey-lemon riff

For a non-alcoholic version, shake honey syrup and lemon juice with a splash of chilled water plus a small amount of non-alcoholic gin alternative. If you do not have one, use cold brewed juniper tea or a few drops of juniper and citrus bitters-style non-alcoholic flavoring. Serve it up in the same glass with a lemon twist for a convincing nod to the original.