The Bee's Knees Cocktail
A three-ingredient gin sour made with gin, fresh lemon juice, and honey syrup. Tart, lightly floral, and ready in under five minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 oz gin London dry, or a softer floral gin
- ¾ oz fresh lemon juice about half a lemon, freshly squeezed
- ½ oz honey syrup equal parts honey and water, see recipe below
- Ice for shaking, plus one large cube if serving on the rocks
- 1 lemon twist optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the honey syrup. Stir 1/2 cup honey into 1/2 cup warm water until it fully dissolves, then let it cool completely. Store it in a jar in the fridge for up to about a month.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the gin, fresh lemon juice, and honey syrup.
- Shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds, until the outside of the shaker is frosted over.
- Strain into a chilled coupe, or over one large ice cube in a rocks glass.
- Express a lemon twist over the surface and drop it in. Taste it: add another 1/4 oz of honey syrup if it is too tart, or a splash more lemon if it is too sweet.
Notes
Honey syrup: stir equal parts honey and warm water together until the honey fully dissolves, then let it cool. Half a cup of each makes enough for a dozen-plus cocktails and keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for about a month.
To batch for a party: multiply the gin, lemon juice, and honey syrup by the number of guests, stir together, and refrigerate. Either shake individual portions with ice to order, or add about 3/4 oz of water per drink to the pitcher and pour straight over ice.
Zero-proof version: use a nonalcoholic gin alternative in the same 2 oz measure.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!