The history of the Bees Knees Cocktail

If you dig into the history of this classic cocktail, you won’t find much in the way of origins, although there are theories. The recipe supposedly appears in a 1930 edition of the cocktail compendium „World Drinks and How to Mix Them“ by San Francisco bartender and author Bill Boothby. However, other evidence suggests that Frank Meier, a bartender at the Ritz Paris, was the original inventor of the cocktail. It appears in Meier’s 1936 edition of „The Artistry of Mixing Drinks“. Even if this story is true, Boothby was still a few years ahead of Meier. So who knows…

The ingredients for the Bees Knees Cocktail

The gin: As with a gin sour, the Bees Knees cocktail invites you to experiment. Floral gin, spicy gin or classic London Dry. Almost all of them can be used in the Bees Knees.
If I want it classic, I would go for the Plymouth Gin or the Rutte Dry Gin. They are solid and fun. But if I want an extra kick of freshness, I prefer the Sipsmith Lemon Drizzle. As the name suggests, it comes with an extra portion of lemon. Simply wonderful in combination with the honey. 

The Runny Honey: You have to make it yourself, as pure honey would be too thick in consistency and would not combine well with the other ingredients.
Simply mix one part honey with one part hot water and pour into a closed container. This „honey syrup“ can then be kept in the fridge for up to three weeks.

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