The Roaring Twenties gave rise to some delightful slang — and some classic cocktails. The latter had to do with bartenders needing to get creative in the era of Prohibition. As for the former, some enduring favorites include “the cat’s pajamas” and “the cat’s meow,” while others are unfortunately lost to time, such as “the kipper’s knickers.” All of these are used to denote something as being excellent.
In at least one instance, these two 1920s trends combine into a delicious, underrated summery cocktail with an adorable name: the Bee’s Knees. This simple beverage consists of just three ingredients — gin, lemon juice, and honey syrup — shaken together with ice. For each 2 ounces of gin, you’ll need ¾ ounce of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and ½ ounce of honey syrup (made by mixing two parts honey to one part hot water and cooling). When it’s time to get shaking, make sure to use large ice cubes to avoid over-dilution and strain the drink into a chilled glass.
Honey syrup, for the curious, is a mix of honey and hot water. The goal is to create a thinner syrup that will blend easier when shaken than pure honey would. Yes, you could use simple syrup, but that would put you in gin sour territory — and you’d lose the distinctive honey taste of the Bee’s Knees.
Making the Bee’s Knees your own
A three-ingredient cocktail is the perfect canvas for some creative mixology. Each of the ingredients can be tweaked to create something clearly inspired by the original, yet totally new. For example, the gin. Swap gin for smoky mezcal to create a “Killer Bee.” Or, stick with gin, but use something unexpected. Empress 1908, for example, makes a purple-hued “indigo gin” made with butterfly pea blossom.
For the honey syrup, a simple twist would be to use agave instead, since it’s such a great cocktail sweetener. Or be thoughtful when selecting your honey. Orange blossom honey, for instance, could really bring out the citrus flavors. Another option is huckleberry honey, which has a violet tint — this combined with the indigo gin could be a vibrant new favorite! And of course, you can always try a different kind of citrus juice, use meyer lemons instead of traditional lemons, grilling your lemons before incorporating them.
In addition to mixing up the three base flavors, you can always add extra garnishes or flavorings. If you like things spicy, some people enjoy a “Bee Sting” cocktail, made using jalapeños. On the other hand, other people ordering a Bee Sting may expect a splash of absinthe. A common addition is a whipped egg white, which gives the drink an attractive layered look and a nice foamy texture to contrast with the liquid. The possibilities are endless, but whatever you try, the result is sure to be the Bee’s Knees — or at least something similar!
