A bees knees (or bee's knees) is a Prohibition era

cocktail A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely across ...

made with

gin Gin () is a distilled alcoholic drink that derives its flavour from juniper berries (''Juniperus communis''). Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe, particularly in southern Italy, Flanders and the Ne ...

, fresh lemon juice, and

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

. It is served shaken and chilled, often with a lemon twist. The name comes from prohibition-era slang meaning "the best".

History

The bee's knees cocktail has unclear origins. It was possibly invented by

Frank Meier Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curre ...

, 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. A 1929 news article attributes the cocktail to Margaret Brown, an American socialite. In 2017, Barr Hill Gin started an annual event called Bees Knees Week to encourage people to enjoy the bee's knees cocktail. Bee's Knees Week is the largest sustainability event in the spirits industry, focused on pollinator protection.

Variations

Barr Hill Gin Caledonia Spirits is a Microdistillery, craft distillery in Montpelier, Vermont. The distillery is known for its Barr Hill-brand spirits, including gin, vodka, and an Old Tom gin called Tom Cat. The company's flagship product is its Barr Hill Gin ...

is sometimes recommended for its honey infusion, though other gins may be used (including Barr Hill's Tom Cat gin). * The honey may be diluted 1:1 with warm water to thin the consistency. * The honey may be diluted 1:1 with simple syrup instead of water. * A sprig of basil or thyme may be used for garnish instead of lemon peel. * Some variations contain orange juice. * Add two dashes of

absinthe Absinthe (, ) is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from several plants, including the flowers and leaves of ''Artemisia absinthium'' ("grand wormwood"), together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs. Historical ...

and two dashes of orange bitters to make a variation called the "oldest living Confederate widow".

References

Cocktails with gin Citrus cocktails Three-ingredient cocktails {{Mixed-drink-stub