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Bee's Knees

2 oz Gin
1⁄2 oz Honey syrup
1⁄2 oz Lemon juice
Instructions

Shake, strain, cocktail glass

Notes

Honey syrup is honey and hot water 1:1, mixed and cooled.

History

Prohibition-era recipe was 1:1:1 with honey, rather than honey syrup, a sickeningly sweet drink by modern standards, no doubt

Cocktail summary
Posted by Dan on
Created by
Unknown
Year
2010
Is of
unknown authenticity
Reference

David Embry, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, 1949

Curator
4 stars
User rating
3.5 stars
(31 ratings)
Yields Drink

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From other users
  • *Very* good with Barr Hill Reserve Tom Cat gin (made in honey barrels) - and increasing lemon and honey syrup to 0.75oz each per the other comment - definitely brings this from a 4 to a 5 for me. — ★★★★
  • Many proportional variations out there but I found that 2oz gin, 3/4 honey syrup, 3/4 lemon brought this from a 3 to a 4 — ★★★★★
  • Very good. Not terribly exciting.
  • Too gin forward
  • Pretty good for a 3 ingredient, 1 spirit concoction.
  • Classic for a reason. Use good/strong honey to make your syrup!
  • Increase Lemon and Honey syrup to .75 oz. Add 2 dash Lavender Bitters.
  • Vary honey to taste
  • Good, but not awesome
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Comments
yarm commented on 2/13/2023:

"Prohibition-era recipe was 1:1:1 with honey, rather than honey syrup, a sickeningly sweet drink by modern standards, no doubt"

What evidence of this other is there other than hearsay from Embury 15 years after Prohibition ended? Boothby 1934 coming right out of Prohibition has it greatly more spirit forward and was closer to the Prohibition era.