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.
Set servings & plan this recipe →
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?
This example makes 12 servings with added water at 27% of the full recipe volume before dilution. This is a planning assumption; water from ice at service is not predicted. Edit this recipe and create a purchase sheet → See the pre-calculated 12-serve batch →
| Ingredient | × 12 | mL |
|---|---|---|
| Gin | 24.0 oz | 710 |
| Fresh lemon juice | 9.0 oz | 266 |
| Honey syrup | 9.0 oz | 266 |
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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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?
The listed ingredients calculate to approximately 22.9% ABV before added water or ice melt, with approximately 1.33 US standard drinks per serving. Water lowers the concentration but does not change the alcohol quantity.
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 each ingredient by your number of servings. Open this recipe in the batch planner to choose added water, package sizes and ingredients to hold for service. Preset water percentages are planning assumptions applied to all recipe liquid before dilution, not predictions of ice melt.