The Bee's Knees emerged during American Prohibition (1920-1933). Bathtub gin was harsh, full of off-notes, and badly distilled. Honey covered the worst of it; lemon brightened what was left. The drink survived the era and turned out to be excellent even with proper gin. Today it is a working bartender's house cocktail in countless cities.
Ingredients
- London Dry gin 60ml
- Fresh lemon juice 22.5ml
- Honey syrup 22.5ml (2 parts honey to 1 part hot water)
- Lemon peel to garnish
Method
- Make the honey syrup first: stir 2 parts honey into 1 part hot water until fully dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
- Add gin, lemon juice, and honey syrup to a shaker over ice.
- Shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
- Express the lemon peel oils over the surface and drop in.
The honey syrup question
Pure honey does not blend into a cold drink. It clumps. A honey syrup (honey dissolved in hot water) integrates smoothly. Make it in advance and keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.
2:1 honey to water is the working ratio. Some bartenders use 3:1 for richer drinks. We use 2:1 for the Bee's Knees because the drink wants the honey character without the cloying weight.
The honey choice
Use a honey with character. Wildflower, orange blossom, manuka, or local Malaysian tualang honey all work. Acacia and clover honeys are too neutral; they vanish into the drink.
If you can get gelam (also called tualang) honey from a Malaysian apiarist, use it. The deeper, almost-molasses note plays beautifully against the gin's botanicals.
What it should taste like
Bright, slightly floral, lemon-forward, with honey rounding the edges. The gin botanicals show through. A well-made Bee's Knees feels brisk rather than sweet.
Common mistake: too much honey syrup. The drink should land on the dry side of "balanced," not on the sweet side.
Variations
Pollen variation: add a dash of bee pollen on top of the glass for visual and slight savoury depth.
Tualang Bee's Knees: use Malaysian tualang honey for the syrup. Deeper, slightly smoky.
Calamansi Bee's Knees: swap lemon for calamansi. Our local twist; the limau flavour shifts the drink towards tropical.
Brown Derby: the closely-related cocktail using bourbon and grapefruit instead of gin and lemon. Same template, different fruit and spirit.
Related
Frequently asked questions
What glass is the Bee's Knees served in?
A chilled coupe, no ice in the glass. The shape lets the lemon-peel oils sit on the surface and the honey-yellow colour read cleanly. A nick and nora glass is the modern bartender alternative. A martini glass works in a pinch but the V-shape hides the colour.
Can I substitute the honey?
Use a honey with character: wildflower, orange blossom, manuka, or local Malaysian tualang. Avoid neutral acacia or clover honeys; they disappear in the drink. Maple syrup substitutes in a Brown Derby cousin, not a Bee's Knees. Agave nectar is too neutral. Whatever you choose, always make a 2:1 honey syrup first; pure honey clumps in cold liquid.
How strong is the Bee's Knees?
Medium strong. About 22 to 25 percent ABV in the glass after shake-dilution. The 60ml of London Dry gin (40 percent) is the only alcohol; lemon and honey syrup dilute the perception. Drinks brisk and dry when balanced correctly; if your version tastes sweet, the honey is too much.
Where can I order a Bee's Knees in PJ or KL?
At Dissolved Solids (Damansara Kim, 43-1 Jalan SS20/11, Tue-Sun 15:00 to 01:00, WhatsApp +60 11-4008 7607) or Soluble Solids (SS2, 50-1 Jalan SS2/24, Wed-Sun 18:00 to 01:00, WhatsApp +60 11-1682 8651). Both pour with Malaysian tualang honey. Ask for the Calamansi Bee's Knees variant if you want the local twist with limau in place of lemon.
What food pairs with the Bee's Knees?
Light bar bites and cheese. Soft goat cheese with honey, manchego, fig jam on toast, prosciutto. Also pairs with light Asian dishes (har gow, scallop sashimi). The honey note bridges into dessert: lemon tart, baklava, honey madeleines. Avoid spicy heat; the honey reads cloying against chilli.