The Bee’s Knees cock­tail is a gin, lemon and hon­ey clas­sic that dates back to pro­hi­bi­tion. The phrase “bee’s knees” was pro­hi­bi­tion-era slang for “the best.” In that time, the addi­tion of ingre­di­ents such as cit­rus and hon­ey were often used to cov­er the less than ide­al smell and taste of bath­tub gin. Improv­ing the taste of an infe­ri­or gin may have been the goal, but the result was a fan­tas­tic con­coc­tion that can hold its own today.

Cale­do­nia Spir­it­s’s Barr Hill Gin is the per­fect gin for this recipe. Own­er Todd Hardie is a bee­keep­er and hon­ey enthu­si­ast. His small batch gin is fin­ished with a touch of hon­ey. I also use his hon­ey for the hon­ey sim­ple syrup for this recipe. This pair­ing cer­tain­ly is the bee’s knees.

Recipe

• 2 oz Barr Hill Gin
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 oz hon­ey sim­ple syrup 1:1
• Gar­nish with a lemon twist

Add all ingre­di­ents to your shak­er except for the gar­nish. Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cock­tail glass. Gar­nish with a lemon twist.