When it comes to cocktails, it’s hard to get easier and more classic than the Bee’s Knees Cocktail. Here we make it with fresh sage and honey syrup to make a Sage Bee’s Knees that’s perfect for fall!Â
What Is The Bee’s Knees Cocktail?
Made with nothing more than gin, lemon, and honey, it’s a twist on a sour cocktail that is easy to remember for any time you need to whip up a drink.
As each season comes along, I like to make different versions with various kinds of honey and flavors (hello, lavender)! But when the temps drop, this is a fave: a Sage Bee’s Knees Cocktail recipe version that’s just as simple but even more sophisticated.Â
What Is The History Of The Bee’s Knees Cocktail?Â
The history of the Bee’s Knees Cocktail dates back to the Prohibition Era. A time when alcohol was illegal, but speakeasies allowed for a good time behind closed doors.Â
During this era, there were bathtub gin cocktails, which was essentially homemade alcoholic beverage. To avoid the harsh aroma of the homemade alcohol, lemon and honey were added to this sage cocktail giving us what we know today as the Bee’s Knees Cocktail.Â
Why You’ll Love The Sage Bee’s Knees CocktailÂ
You’ll love this recipe because it’s not too sweet, well balanced, easy to make, and goes well with appetizers so is great for a cocktail party.
The Classic Bee’s Knees Cocktail is enjoyed best when prepared with the smooth London Dry Gin, and topped with a sweet or sour honey syrup. Here we like to use St. George terroir gin and some fresh sage to bring an unexpectedly sophisticated twist to an already sophisticated sage cocktail!Â
Recipe Ingredients
The ingredients you’ll need to make this are:
- Honey
- Water
- Gin
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Fresh Sage Leaves
- Ice
How To Make A Bee’s Knees Cocktail
Here’s how to make this:
- Make The Honey Syrup: You’ll simmer together honey and water until the honey is dissolved and then let it cool. This will be the sweetener and any extra can be used in place of simple syrup in other cocktails.Â
- Shake The Cocktail:Â To make one cocktail, you’ll add the gin, lemon juice, honey syrup, and sage to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake.
- Strain And Serve:Â Then strain this mixture into a chilled glass and serve with a fresh sage leaf on top.Â
Now, go stock up on all your cooking essentials, then head into the kitchen, make this, and share it with us by tagging @saltandwind and #swsociety on social!
Sage Bee's Knees Cocktail Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Honey Syrup:
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup cold water
For One Bee's Knees Cocktail:
- 1 1/2 ounces gin
- 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce honey syrup
- 3 fresh sage leaves divided
- Ice
Instructions
- Make The Honey Syrup:Â For the syrup, bring equal parts honey and water to a simmer in a small saucepan until honey dissolves. Let cool to room temperature before using.Â
- Make The Bee's Knees Cocktail:Â Combine gin, lemon juice, syrup, and 2 sage leaves in a cocktail shaker and stir to dissolve honey syrup. Fill shaker halfway with ice and shake until thoroughly chilled, about 10 seconds.
- Strain And Serve: Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Smack the remaining sage leaf between your hands over the glass, drop into the drink and serve.Â
