Bee's Knees
A Prohibition-era gin sour sweetened with honey instead of sugar, brightened by lemon. The honey-syrup, gin, and lemon ratio scales linearly, making it a clean, reliable batch sour.
Ingredients
| Gin | 2 oz |
| Fresh lemon juice | 0.75 oz |
| Honey syrup | 0.75 oz |
| Total volume | 3.50 oz |
Garnish: Lemon twist
Tip: change “Make” to scale the recipe, or switch units for the metric world.
How to make it
Shaken · Easy · about 3 minutes
- 1
Add the gin, fresh lemon juice and honey syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- 2
Shake hard for 10–15 seconds until the outside of the shaker frosts over.
- 3
Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- 4
Garnish with lemon twist.
Tools you'll need
Making a batch for a party?
Here's a pre-calculated batch of 12 with 27% dilution water built in. Scale to any number with the batch calculator →
| Ingredient | × 12 | Bottles |
|---|---|---|
| Gin | 24.0 oz | 1 |
| Fresh lemon juice | 9.0 oz | 1 |
| Honey syrup | 9.0 oz | 1 |
BatchPour tools produce estimates for planning purposes only. Actual dilution, ABV, and ingredient yields vary by technique, ice temperature, and produce. Always taste and adjust. Drink responsibly.
If you like the Bee's Knees, try…
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Gimlet
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Dry Martini
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Bee's Knees FAQ
What's in a Bee's Knees?
A classic Bee's Knees is made with gin, fresh lemon juice, honey syrup. It's shaken and served in a coupe glass.
What is the ABV of a Bee's Knees?
A classic Bee's Knees is approximately 22.9% ABV — about 1.33 US standard drinks per serving once you account for dilution.
Should I shake or stir a Bee's Knees?
Shake it. Citrus and other non-spirit ingredients need the aeration and hard chill that shaking gives.
How do I batch Bee's Kneess for a party?
Scale every ingredient by your guest count, then add about 27% dilution water. The BatchPour batch calculator does the math for any number.