Bee’s Knees Cocktail
The bee's knees is a classic cocktail made with gin, lemon and honey! This recipe is strong, refreshing and delicious. Gin lovers will love the bee's knees!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on May 24, 2024
When life gives you lemons… make a cocktail. How about that? My friends and I have been sending each other instructional videos on how to make our favorite cocktails for happy hour.
I’ll never be a gin and tonic girl, but I’ve been enjoying gin-based drinks as the weather warms up. Gin plays nicely with citrus and fresh herbs, so it seems just right for this time of year.
The Bee’s Knees is a classic Prohibition-era cocktail made with gin, lemon and honey. It’s brightly flavored, lightly sweet, and just an overall delightful drink—hence the name.
Enjoy one at home on a nice spring day. It tastes even better on a patio or balcony, if you have one. Cheers!
Watch How to Make the Bee’s Knees Cocktail
Why make honey simple syrup?
Honey doesn’t mix into cold liquids well. It tends to clump and cause problems. To remedy that, we make honey simple syrup from equal parts honey and water. The syrup mixes easily into cold cocktails.
To make honey simple syrup, simply warm the two together in the microwave or on the stovetop until you can easily whisk them together. That’s it! Leftover honey syrup will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to two weeks.
Gin Considerations
You can use classic dry gin for this cocktail (such as Beefeater’s). For a more mellow, less juniper-y drink, try Hendrick’s, which has notes of cucumber and rose.
I used Rieger’s Dry Gin, which is distilled here in Kansas City. The Rieger distillery is manufacturing tons of hand sanitizer right now, so I’m featuring their beautiful product as my own little thank you.
Bee’s Knees Variations
- If you divide one drink between two Champagne glasses and fill the rest with bubbly, you’ll find yourself with a French 75.
- If you want more of a casual, long sipper, pour the ingredients over ice and top it off with club soda (essentially a Tom Collins).
- For a fun floral drink, replace the honey syrup with St. Germain, an elderflower liqueur.
- For a sweeter drink, simply stir in more honey syrup, to taste.
- If you don’t like gin, this cocktail would work with vodka, too.
Please let me know how your cocktail turns out in the comments! Looking for more fun cocktails? Try one of these:
Love gin? View all of my gin recipes. Hate gin? View more cocktail recipes here.
Bee’s Knees Cocktail
The bee’s knees is a classic cocktail made with gin, lemon and honey! This recipe is strong, refreshing and delicious. Recipe yields 1 cocktail; you can multiply the ingredients and make up to 3 cocktails at once in a standard cocktail shaker.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce honey syrup (see step 1)
- 1 ounce lemon juice (about ½ medium lemon)
- 2 ounces gin
- Lemon twist, for garnish
Instructions
- To make the honey syrup: Combine equal parts honey and water (say, 2 tablespoons each if you’re only making a few cocktails) in a microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan. Warm in the microwave or over the stovetop just until you can completely stir the honey into the water. Set aside.
- Before juicing your lemons, use a vegetable peeler or channel knife to peel off a strip(s) of zest for your twist.
- To make the cocktail, fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in the honey syrup, lemon juice and gin. Securely fasten the lid and shake until the mixture is very cold, about 30 seconds.
- Strain the drink into a coupe or martini glass. Twist the lemon peel over the cocktail to release some of its oils, then drop it in. Enjoy while cold.
Notes
Measurement tips: I love to use this measuring jigger (affiliate link) for measuring cocktails. You can use standard measuring cups and spoons, though. Two ounces is ¼ cup, 1 ounce is 2 tablespoons, and ½ ounce is 1 tablespoon.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
What a great cocktail. My husband and I went to a tipsy high tea. This is one of the cocktails we had, I searched for a recipe and came across your recipe. Love it.
Can’t wait to make these! Also, we LOVE the glasses. Where can I find them?
I’m not sure they are still available, but I find a lot of my stuff vintage. Or, Crate & Barrel have great glassware too!
Ooo these look tasty and delicious!
I did 1.5oz (3 T) gin, .5 oz (1 T) elderflower liquere (LLord’s), and 1 oz (2 T) lemonade, splash of Sprite for fizz. Fabulous!.
Yum, yum, yum!! This is so delish and perfect for sipping on a hot end of summer evening! Thank you for the great recipe!
You’re welcome, Kelly!
I need to make a large batch of this cocktail, bees knees(I will be serving around 16 people) do you think it would be OK to make this up ahead of time in store store in a picture in the refrigerator and then give it a good stir right before I poured into my glasses and garnish with the lemon twist?
Thank you so much for your input. I can’t wait to try this cocktail.
You can try it. Let me know what you think!
This is one of my favorite gin cocktails! I used Barr Hill gin because it’s infused with lemon and honey. The flavor is gorgeous.
Great to hear, Bella! Thank you for your review.
Bee Knees recipe excellent. Found the honey syrup worked better than the elderflower, which I’m a big fan of. Perfect measurements!
Thanks a bunch.
Bee’s Knees are wonderful. Here in Vermont, Barr Hill Gin, made with juniper and raw honey is the absolute requirement; the honey accents swirl seamlessly into the cocktail. Astonishing gin on its own!
Thank you for sharing, Michael!
do you think it would work to make a big batch and put in a drink dispenser and serve over ice?
You could try it! Let me know how it goes for you.
Great recipe! Heavy on lemon so if you want to taste the honey from the first sip, double the syrup to be equal parts lemon juice.
Local bar made this but they’d tip the brim with salts and slap a leaf or two of sage in it and now it’s the only way I’ll have it
Absolutely lovely. I use Bar Hill honey gin made in Vermont. Delish and thank you, it’s my new go-to cocktail.
Can’t wait to make a Bees Knees…I love Gin drinks so this sounds perfect !
Seymour West
Yummy. It was a sunny spring day and we took your suggestion and made these. Thank you! The plan is to make all the variations
This drink brings all the police to the yard , copy that with a little bitters and a lime wheel on side . Match it up with 2 trailers of side walk about 2000 to about 0600.
Very tasty! Good advice about thinning the honey out. The drink reminded me a little of a whiskey sour.