Lavender Bee’s Knees – A Gin Cocktail

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Last Updated on June 13, 2023 by Leah Hall

We love the flavors in this classic gin cocktail, light and herbal with the lavender, perfectly citrusy with the lemon! Cheers to summer with this Lavender Bee’s Knees!

 

We have been busy the last few weeks wrapping up the end of summer by finding ways to use our fresh herbs from our garden before the cold nights of fall finish off our herbs. One of the herbs we have been really enjoying is our lavender, which finally has established itself enough to bloom, its purple flowers fragrantly floral in the late summer sun.

 

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Lavender Bee’s Knees

We have enjoyed using lavender in some of our previous cocktails like the Brandy and Blackberry Lavender Shrub. Using lavender added a rich floral freshness to the recipe, too. We then decided to use a lavender infused simple syrup to make a delicious summer sipping cocktail, the Lavender Bee’s Knees.

Coupe Glasses

What is the history of the Bee’s Knees?

The Bee’s Knees is a delicious classic cocktail recipe that has been around since prohibition. Bee’s Knees got its name from the popular 1920’s phrase “It’s the bee’s knees,” meaning the best. The Bee’s Knees is a take off of the old standby, the Gin Sour cocktail, but uses honey to add a rich complex sweetness to the drink.

Likely the change from the classic sour recipe to add a big dose of honey syrup used in the original. It was to add an overwhelming sweetness to hide the questionable flavors of the bathtub gin that was common in the 1920’s.

Shaker

When we started making the Lavender Bee’s Knees, we found the original seemed a little sweet, especially for a summer sipper. We also were running a little short for the amount of honey the original recipe called to make the honey simple syrup.

 

What makes this Bee’s Knees different?

Since we had a nice lavender infused simple syrup that we have been playing around with, we decided to sub in the lavender simple syrup for some of the honey syrup. It took this Lavender Bee’s Knees down a whole different road than the original by adding a rich floral note.

If You are Looking for a Classic Cocktail, Try These!

• Gin and Jam
• Blood and Sand
• Clover Club
• Christmas Old Fashioned
• Ward Eight
• Raspberry Gimlet
• Maple Old Fashioned
• Pimm’s Cup
• Apple Cider Sidecar
• Lumiere
• Boulevardier
• Hibiscus Salty Dog
• Pisco Sour
• Champs Elysees

 

We used a nice light gin, Hendrick’s, which has a nice hint of floral sweetness that worked really well with the lavender syrup, too. Fresh squeezed lemon juice brings a tart component that works really well with gin, making the Lavender Bee’s Knees a nice crisp cocktail good for sipping on a late summer evening.

 

We love a bit of honey to keep the rich sweetness and unique flavor that honey brings, and we hope that you try it with the floral flavor of the lavender. Try lavender in our Lavender Margarita, too!

 

What Ingredients are Needed for the Lavender Bee’s Knees?

• Lavender Simple Syrup
  • Lavender Sprigs
  • Water
  • Sugar
  • Honey
• Cocktail
  • Lemon Juice
  • Lavender Honey Simple Syrup
  • Gin

 

Crisp and tart with a floral sweetness, we found ourselves sipping this on our porch as the sun set on a couple of wonderful warm evenings the past few weeks.

 

Cheers to this honey classic!

 

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Like this recipe? Try these below, too!

Lemon Lavender Gin & Tonic Granita Cocktail

 

Brandy and Blackberry Lavender Shrub Cocktail

 

Other Bee’s Knees Cocktails

• Apple Bee’s Knees – A Saucy Kitchen
• Sage Bee’s Knees – Nerds with Knives

Other Lavender Cocktails

• Lavender French 75 – Lively Table
• Blackberry Lavender Gin & Tonic – Super Golden Bakes
• Lemon Lavender Gin Fizz – The Charming Detroiter
• Lavender Collins – Fox & Briar
• Sparkling Lavender Cocktail – Cooking LSL

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