Bee’s Knees

Name: Bee’s Knees
Yield: makes 1 drink
Ingredients: 2 ounces Cadenhead’s Old Raj gin 55; 1 ounce Honey Syrup (page 155); 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1 lemon twist, for garnish

January 24, 2012

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Photo by Chelsea Kyle

Have you ever heard the slang term “the bee’s knees”? It was used in the 1920s during the Noble Experiment to describe something really cool and hip. The cocktail itself appeared sometime during Prohibition. The recipe appears in cocktail books printed after 1936, which helps back this theory. It is fairly easy to make—the trick is to use honey syrup instead of honey itself, as honey will not dissolve when shaken with ice in a cocktail. We suggest Cadenhead’s Old Raj saffron-infused gin, at 55 percent alcohol by volume. Some authorities claim this cocktail can also be made with rum. If you’re game, we suggest the Flor de Caña four-year-old clear rum, which adds the perfect amount of grassiness and earthiness to the overall flavor profile.

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