Author: corrie.pennington

applejack

Jack Rose | The Forgotten Classic Cocktail with 3 Ingredients

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The Jack Rose is a classic American cocktail made with applejack (apple brandy), lemon juice, and grenadine. It's a little tart, a little sweet, and very American. Make one and discover why so many American presidents and icons have loved a good applejack-based cocktail over the years.

The Jack Rose is a classic American cocktail made with applejack (apple brandy), fresh lemon juice, and grenadine. It’s tart, sweet, and ridiculously easy to make. Make one and you’ll find out why the Jack Rose cocktail was a favorite among the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Humphrey Bogard, and John Steinbeck.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

One day a while back, a friend called me to see if I wanted to raid her pantry before she moved out of state. Living in a military town means you have to say goodbye to a lot of friends but it also means raiding a lot of pantries. When I got there, she had already set aside a pile of things she figured I’d be interested in. In the heap was a nearly-full bottle of triple sec (score!) and a nearly-empty bottle of apple brandy.

I knew the triple sec would come in handy (hello Margaritas & Sidecars!) but I wasn’t quite sure what I’d use the apple brandy for. But seeing as I’m not one to pass up free booze, I snagged it.

It’s sat in my liquor cabinet for months now because aside from using it in place of regular brandy in a recipe, I was at a loss as to how to use it.

Then it hit me. Isn’t apple brandy the same thing as applejack? Or at least… similar? I’d had applejack in an awesome cocktail I’d ordered at a bar in Houston called Mongoose Vs Cobra. It was one of those cocktails that you think about for years. I remembered it having applejack. Ah, what was it called? Something about the Titanic??? Jack? Apple Jacks? The name was on the tip of my tongue. A quick Google search solved the mystery. A Jack Rose.

The Jack Rose is a classic American cocktail made with applejack (apple brandy), lemon juice, and grenadine. It's a little tart, a little sweet, and very American. Make one and discover why so many American presidents and icons have loved a good applejack-based cocktail over the years.

Ah, Jack Rose. I felt a little better about the Titanic connection. Turns out a Jack Rose is a classic American cocktail. And it’s made with applejack, as I remembered. But could I use my new (old) apple brandy instead?

According to an article by Chowhound and Lisa Laird Dunn, Vice President of Laird & Company (America’s oldest and biggest apple brandy company), the terms “apple brandy” and “applejack” can legally be used interchangeably in the United States.

The term “applejack” came from how the spirit was originally distilled centuries back. “Jacking” was a term used to describe the process of freeze distilling fermented cider. When the ice is removed, it causes a higher concentration of both alcohol and flavor. Few companies use freeze distillation today to produce applejack or apple brandy but you can read this article to see how to do it yourself at home.

The Jack Rose is a classic American cocktail made with applejack (apple brandy), lemon juice, and grenadine. It's a little tart, a little sweet, and very American. Make one and discover why so many American presidents and icons have loved a good applejack-based cocktail over the years.

With a good supply of apples and cold temperatures, you can see why applejack became a popular spirit for early Americans in the north. In fact, applejack was George Washington’s spirit of choice. Supposedly he is the only person outside of the Laird family to have ever been given their famous applejack recipe. But Washington’s not the only American president with an affinity for the American spirit. Abraham Lincoln sold applejack at his bar (yep, he’s the only president who was also a licensed bartender) and Franklin Roosevelt preferred to make his Manhattans with it. Don’t you wanna go out and buy a bottle now?

Once you go outside of the US, though, apple brandy terminology gets a little more technical. Calvados, a famous style of apple brandy, hails from Normandy. For an apple brandy to be considered Calvados, it has to be from the Calvados region of Normandy and must be aged. Applejack and American brandy don’t have to be aged.

The Chowhound article goes waaay more in-depth about the differences between American applejack/apple brandy and Calvados. It’s an interesting read but incase you don’t feel like spending 8 minutes reading about the differences, just know that if you’re in America, it’s pretty safe to assume that applejack = apple brandy.

Let me know if you make the Jack Rose in a comment, by posting it in the Girl & Tonic Facebook page, or tagging me on Instagram.

The Jack Rose is a classic American cocktail made with applejack (apple brandy), lemon juice, and grenadine. It's a little tart, a little sweet, and very American. Make one and discover why so many American presidents and icons have loved a good applejack-based cocktail over the years.

Ingredients for a Jack Rose Cocktail

  • 1 1/2 to 2 oz apple brandy (also called applejack)
  • 3/4 oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz grenadine (I prefer to use a high quality one with no artificial colors or ingredients)

How to Make a Jack Rose Cocktail

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. Sip and feel like a classy American.

Jack Rose Cocktail

The Jack Rose is a classic America cocktail made with applejack (apple brandy), lemon juice, and grenadine. It's a little tart, a little sweet, and very American. Make one and discover why so many American presidents and icons love a good applejack-based cocktail.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 1½-2 oz apple brandy*
  • ¾ oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • ½ oz grenadine

Instructions
 

  • Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
  • Shake well, about 20 seconds.
  • Strain into a coupe glass.
  • Garnish with a lemon twist.

Notes

*Apple brandy and applejack can be used interchangeably in the US. Read my blog post for more information about these two terms.
Keyword apple brandy, applejack, grenadine, lemon juice

gin

Lavender Empress | An Unforgettable Gin and Tonic with Empress 1908 Gin

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The Lavender Empress is an unforgettable gin and tonic made with Empress 1908 gin. It's sophisticated, floral, and simple.

This Lavender Empress is a Gin and Tonic recipe that’s sophisticated, simple, and memorable. I’ve had countless Gin and Tonics in my life and I’ve enjoyed them all. But never has one stood out from the rest– until now. And it’s all thanks to the Empress 1908 Gin.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

The Gin and Tonic is one of the oldest cocktails in existence. As with many classic cocktails, there are a few origin stories floating around out there. Most people agree that this combination was invented in India during the 18th century while others claim it was created in Holland the century before that. What’s clear is that gin was created as a type of medicine in the 17th century and tonic consumption was encouraged for British citizens who were relocating to India.

Someone somewhere discovered that adding gin to the malaria-fighting tonic water made it a much more palatable remedy. Tonic water no longer has enough quinine in it to provide any kind of anti-malarial benefits but it still tastes dang good with gin.

The Lavender Empress is an unforgettable gin and tonic made with Empress 1908 gin. It's sophisticated, floral, and simple.

Gin and Tonics are one of my personal favorite cocktails, but they’re often seen as being bland and boring. This Gin and Tonic is anything but. First off, it’s purple. There’s something about sipping on a purple cocktail that’ll lift your spirits. Really. Try being angry while you drink a dainty purple drink. I just don’t think it’s possible.

Secondly, the specific gin I used in this Lavender Empress makes alllll the difference. I’m still learning a lot about the world of gin (it’s quite large, as it turns out) but so far, I’ve learned that gin varies more from one brand to another than any other liquor. Rum is going to taste rum-y. All tequilas have a similar tone. But gin varies wildly from bottle to bottle and I love that about it.

Now all you whiskey and tequila purists out there, don’t hear me wrong. I know that they don’t all taste the same. But all tequila is gonna taste like blue agave because by definition it must be made from blue agave to be considered tequila. And while gin is always distilled from juniper berries and other botanicals, it’s the ‘other botanicals’ part that leaves the door wide-open for diversity.

The Lavender Empress is an unforgettable gin and tonic made with Empress 1908 gin. It's sophisticated, floral, and simple.

Empress 1908 gin is what I used in the Lavender Empress recipe. It’s made with juniper berries, grapefruit peel, coriander seeds, rose petals, cinnamon, ginger root, the exclusive black tea served at the Empress Hotel, and butterfly pea blossoms. Mhmm. Yeah. Now you’re starting to understand why I say this Gin and Tonic recipe is memorable.

The butterfly pea blossom is where the Empress 1908 gets it’s color from. Before it’s mixed with anything, this gin is actually a deep indigo. However, after mixing it with different ingredients like citrus and tonic, it’ll change colors. It can turn fuchsia, lavender, or light pink. Just watch the color change when I add the tonic water. It goes from indigo to a gorgeous lavender:

Knowing that the gin was distilled with rose petals, I wanted to bring out that floral element. I considered using my rose simple syrup or a drop of rose water, but if you’ve had either before, you know how easily they can overpower a drink. I didn’t want to risk doing that to such a precious gin. Instead, I turned to lavender.

One of the things that people love about Gin & Tonics is that they’re dry and not sweet. By only adding 1/4 oz of the lavender simple syrup, you’re able to highlight the floral elements in the Empress 1908 Gin without covering up the bitterness of the tonic. But as I always say, cocktails are meant to be customized so feel free to add more lavender simple syrup if you’re into sweeter drinks. Lavender simple syrup is really easy to make. Hand to heart. You can find my step-by-step recipe here.

I also added a splash of grapefruit juice since Empress 1908 gin has grapefruit notes. I don’t think it’s necessary to add this and I would definitely make sure not to add too much. Just a literal splash or squeeze will do.

The Lavender Empress is an unforgettable gin and tonic made with Empress 1908 gin. It's sophisticated, floral, and simple.

If you wanna find out if a liquor store near you is selling Empress 1908, you can use the company’s Find Your Empress page. This gin is unique, fun (color-changing!!), and reasonably priced. If you don’t have Empress 1908, you can use whatever gin you’ve got in your liquor cabinet. The Lavender Empress will still taste floral and light, although it may be more appropriate to call it a Lavender Gin & Tonic. But if you can get your hands on some Empress 1908, do it! (I have two sample bottles thanks to my generous friend Mark!)

Ingredients for a Lavender Empress Gin and Tonic

How to Make a Lavender Empress Gin and Tonic

In a cocktail shaker or measuring glass, combine the Empress 1908 gin and the lavender simple syrup. Add a handful of ice and stir to both combine and chill. Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice. Top off the rest of the glass with tonic water & watch the color change before your eyes. Add a small splash or squeeze of grapefruit juice. Stir again before enjoying.

Lavender Empress Gin and Tonic

The Lavender Empress is a sophisticated & floral gin and tonic made with Empress 1908 gin.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz Empress 1908 gin
  • ¼ oz lavender simple syrup (see the note for recipe)
  • 4+ oz tonic water
  • splash grapefruit juice -optional

Instructions
 

  • In a cocktail shaker or measuring glass, combine the Empress 1908 gin, the lavender simple syrup, and handful of ice.
  • Stir to both combine and chill the ingredients.
  • Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice.
  • Top off the rest of the glass with tonic water & watch the color change before your eyes.
  • Add a small splash or squeeze of grapefruit juice.
  • Stir again before enjoying.

Notes

You can find a super simple lavender syrup recipe here.
You can make the Lavender Empress using a different gin and it will still be light and floral. Just know it won’t taste the same because Empress1908 truly is unique.
Keyword gin, grapefruit juice, lavender, lavender simple syrup, tonic
The Lavender Empress is a refined and floral gin and tonic recipe made with Empress 1908 gin.
rum

Jungle Bird | The Tiki Cocktail That’s Not Too Sweet

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The Jungle Bird cocktail is a perfectly balanced tiki drink. It's not too sweet, thanks to the addition of Campari. It's a meeting ground for people who love sweet drinks and people who don't.

I’ve been holding out on y’all for too long. The Jungle Bird is my favorite cocktail at the moment and it has been for some time. This recipe has sat on my “To Post” list since late spring and it’s now the middle of summer and I don’t know how that happened and I’m really sorry, okay? I’m gonna make it right.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like

Thinking of a Jungle Bird cocktail actually makes my mouth water. There’s something about the flavor of this drink that is so unique to me. When it first hits your tongue, you taste the pineapple. It’s bright and sweet. But then it becomes warm and rich, thanks to the dark rum and Demerara syrup. The Campari catches up at the end. It leaves a delectable bitter taste on your tongue that makes you want to take another sip.

The Jungle Bird cocktail is a perfectly balanced tiki drink. It's not too sweet, thanks to the addition of Campari. It's a meeting ground for people who love sweet drinks and people who don't.

The Jungle Bird was supposedly created in the 1970s at the Hilton Hotel’s Aviary Bar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was served as the welcome drink for guests arriving at the hotel and was wildly popular then. However, the recipe disappeared into relative obscurity until Campari started peaking the interests of American imbibers in the 2010s. This article on ThirstMag.com explores more of the history of the Jungle Bird and includes several recipe variations. One day I want to try all of these.

Tiki bars and tiki cocktails are a TREND right now. They have been for the past few years but now they’re piping hot right now. The OG tiki bar was Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood that opened up at the end of 1933, mere days after the ending of Prohibition. Since then, tiki bars and drinks have gone in and out of style but it seems like they’ll be around for a while longer. In case some of you like reading the history articles I post, this article by The Atlantic examines the rise, fall, and resurgence of tiki bars in America. It’s an interesting read. Difford’s Guide has a great article, too, and details the history of tiki culture.

The Jungle Bird cocktail is a perfectly balanced tiki drink. It's not too sweet, thanks to the addition of Campari. It's a meeting ground for people who love sweet drinks and people who don't.

Tiki cocktails don’t typically call for Campari. Actually, this is the only one I know of that does. Tiki cocktails are known for being fruit-forward and pretty sweet. I feel like people usually fall into two categories: people who enjoy sweet drinks and people who don’t.

That’s what makes the Jungle Bird the perfect drink. The combination of the pineapple juice, rum, & Demerara syrup makes it undeniably tropical and sweet. But the Campari’s bitterness balances it all out. It’s the best of all worlds.

The Jungle Bird cocktail is a perfectly balanced tiki drink. It's not too sweet, thanks to the addition of Campari. It's a meeting ground for people who love sweet drinks and people who don't.

In addition to being fruity and sweet, tiki cocktails are also known for their complexity, in terms of both flavor and difficulty. They usually have a lot of ingredients that are harder to come by, so the Jungle Bird is a pretty simple tiki drink, in comparison.

A quick note on the ingredients: the original recipe calls for traditional simple syrup, but I chose to use Demerara syrup. The original recipe also calls for dark rum but I’ve used Kraken spiced rum before and it is GOOD! Don’t use white rum, though. It’ll get lost. Save the white rum for your Daiquiris or Easy Coladas.

If you’ve been wanting to jump on the Campari bandwagon or if you’re trying to use up the bottle you bought back in ’18 and haven’t touched since, I implore you to try this recipe. It’s the perfect introduction to Campari. Once you’re able to appreciate the bitterness in the Jungle Bird, try making a Campari To-Kill-Ya or a Gin Campari Sour.

The Jungle Bird cocktail is a perfectly balanced tiki drink. It's not too sweet, thanks to the addition of Campari. It's a meeting ground for people who love sweet drinks and people who don't.

Ingredients for a Jungle Bird Cocktail

  • 1 1/2 oz dark rum (can substitute spiced rum)
  • 3/4 oz Campari
  • 1 1/2 oz pineapple juice
  • 1/2 oz lime juice
  • 1/2 oz Demerara syrup (can substitute plain simple syrup)

How to Make a Jungle Bird Cocktail

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well, about 20 seconds. Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice. The pineapple juice will create a nice foam. Garnish with a pineapple frond and pineapple wedge.

Jungle Bird Cocktail Recipe

The Jungle Bird is a classic tiki cocktail recipe that's the perfect balance between sweet, tart, and bitter.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ oz dark rum (can sub spiced rum)
  • ¾ oz Campari
  • 1½ oz pineapple juice
  • ½ oz lime juice
  • ½ oz Demerara syrup* (can sub plain simple syrup)

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
  • Shake well, about 20 seconds.
  • Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice.
  • Garnish with a pineapple frond and pineapple wedge.

Notes

The longer you shake, the frothier the pineapple juice will get.
*For a Demerara syrup recipe, click here. It’s 2 ingredients and super easy. Promise.
Keyword campari, dark rum, demerara syrup, lime juice, pineapple juice
champagne

Spicy Mango Sherbet Float | A 2 Ingredient Summer Cocktail with Mouthwatering Chamoy

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The Spicy Mango Sherbet Float packs the sweet heat of summer into a glass. The chamoy adds a mouth-watering blend of sweet, tangy, and spicy. And, it only has 2 ingredients, making it the perfect cocktail to make at home.

I’ve made a lot of cocktails this summer, but this Spicy Mango Sherbet Float really feels like the essence of summer contained in a champagne glass.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

I don’t know what summer feels like for you, but here in central Texas it. is. hot. I’m talking four-consequtive-days-over-100 hot. I’m having to plan my meals around recipes that don’t require the oven because our poor air conditioner just can’t hang.

Thankfully, there’s no shortage of cool drinks around here. During the day, I’m drinking sparkling water with muddled fruit. When night rolls around (and it’s still 100 degrees), I’m on the search for something refreshing and a little boozy.

Emphasis on “little”. If you’re like me, you prefer drinks with lower ABV on hot days. And that’s where this Spicy Mango Sherbet Float comes in.

The Spicy Mango Sherbet Float packs the sweet heat of summer into a glass. The chamoy adds a mouth-watering blend of sweet, tangy, and spicy. And, it only has 2 ingredients, making it the perfect cocktail to make at home.

But before I talk about the recipe, let’s talk about the word sherbet. Since childhood, I’ve pronounced this word as “sher-bert”. I remember giving a middle school friend a hard time for calling it “sher-bit”. But he rocked my world when he pointed out that there is no ‘r’ in the word.

Since then, I’ve had several conversations over the years about to pronounce this dang word. I’ve only met a couple of people who pronounce it without the ‘r’. Most people say “sher-bert”. But then I think about the word “sorbet” and we all pronounce this word the same French-y way: “sore-bay”. So… why don’t we pronounce it “sher-bay”? Why is English weird?

The Spicy Mango Sherbet Float packs the sweet heat of summer into a glass. The chamoy adds a mouth-watering blend of sweet, tangy, and spicy. And, it only has 2 ingredients, making it the perfect cocktail to make at home.

I’m not a big champagne, prosecco, or sparkling wine drinker so I prefer to keep the mini bottles on hand. That way, I don’t waste a whole bottle of champagne since I won’t be able to drink it all before it goes bad. Opt for brut champagne since the sherbet will already be pretty sweet. And since you’re going to be mixing the champagne with a strong flavor, there’s no need to use the nice stuff. Save that for a special occasion and buy cheapie champagne for this recipe.

Originally I made some mango liqueur to go with this Spicy Mango Sherbet Float but it ended up tasting a little too heavy for what I was wanting. I may use that mango liqueur in another recipe in the future. If you want to up the ABV, feel free to add 1/2 to 1 oz of a fruit liqueur. Mango is an obvious choice but orange liqueur or even limoncello would be nice, too.

If you don’t want any alcohol, you can easily make this Spicy Mango Sherbet Float a mocktail by using Sprite or sparkling water in place of the champagne. You could even add a splash of mango juice, too.

Whether you choose to make this float a little boozy, extra boozy, or alcohol-free, this cocktail will pack some sweet heat.

The Spicy Mango Sherbet Float packs the sweet heat of summer into a glass. The chamoy adds a mouth-watering blend of sweet, tangy, and spicy. And, it only has 2 ingredients, making it the perfect cocktail to make at home.

The star of this sherbet float is definitely the mango chamoy sherbet made by H-E-B, a grocery store chain in Texas. If you’re not familiar with chamoy, it’s sweet, sour, savory, & spicy perfection. It can be found in sauce form, candy form, or as a coating on dried or fresh fruit. Walk down any street in Mexico and you’ll find a wide range of street food vendors selling something flavored with chamoy. Sometimes chamoy’s got quite a kick to it. Othertimes, it’s not spicy at all. If you want to learn more about this unique flavor, check out this article.

If you can’t find mango chamoy sherbet, you can use plain mango sherbet and add in a dash or two of chamoy, tajin, or chili powder. Can’t find plain mango sherbet either? Just follow the outline of this recipe and sub in your preferred flavor of sherbet. A raspberry sherbet float would be reeeeally good.

If you love a cocktail with some sweet heat, check out my Spicy Basil Margarita and Cero Miedo. The Cero Miedo is one of my favorite creations to date. So. Good.

If you make a Spicy Mango Sherbet Float, or some variation of it, make sure to tag me on Instagram!

And please, let me know in the comments how you pronounce the word “sherbet”. ðŸ˜œ

The Spicy Mango Sherbet Float packs the sweet heat of summer into a glass. The chamoy adds a mouth-watering blend of sweet, tangy, and spicy. And, it only has 2 ingredients, making it the perfect cocktail to make at home.

Ingredients for a Spicy Mango Sherbet Float

  • 2-3 scoops of mango chamoy sherbet*
  • 3-5 oz brut champagne, prosecco, sparkling wine OR make it alcohol-free and use sparkling water or Sprite
  • optional– mango liqueur

How to Make a Spicy Mango Sherbet Float

Add your scoop of mango chamoy sherbet to a glass. Slowly pour in the champagne. You may need to pour it in an ounce or two at a time to prevent the bubbles from taking over. Garnish with a slice of chili-dipped mango.

Spicy Mango Sherbet Float

This cocktail packs the sweet heat of summer into a glass.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 min
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 2-3 scoops mango chamoy sherbet*
  • 3-5 oz champagne/prosecco**
  • 1 dash tajín or chili powder (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Add the scoop of sherbet to a glass.
  • Slowly pour in the champagne.
  • Garnish with a mango sliced dipped in chili powder.

Notes

Want it extra spicy? Rim your glass with tajín or chili powder.
*If you can’t find mango chamoy sherbet, use mango sherbet and add a dash of chili powder.
**To make this a mocktail, you can use Sprite or sparkling water in place of sparkling wine.
 
Keyword chamoy, champagne, mango sherbet, sherbet, sparkling wine
gin

Bee’s Knees | An Easy 3-Ingredient Classic Cocktail with Honey and Gin

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The Bee's Knees cocktail recipe has been around since the Prohibition. This classic cocktail has only three simple ingredients, making it the perfect cocktail for anyone looking to get into mixing drinks at home.

The Bee’s Knees cocktail is a classic drink that’s been around since the early 1900s. In recent years, with the rise of craft cocktails and home bartending, it’s regaining popularity. I’m glad it’s getting a lot of recognition these days.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

There are a lot of classic cocktails out there that I’d never heard of prior to making my own drinks at home. I’d heard of a Daiquiri, an Old Fashioned, a French 75, and a Whiskey Sour. But now that I’m taking this mixology hobby more seriously, I’ve discovered other classics like the South Side and the New York Sour, and now the Bee’s Knees.

I looked up the history of the Bee’s Knees cocktail and, like so many other classic drinks, it’s got a great story. And again, like so many others, its origins date back to the Prohibition.

The Bee's Knees cocktail recipe has been around since the Prohibition. This classic cocktail has only three simple ingredients, making it the perfect cocktail for anyone looking to get into mixing drinks at home. You'll need gin, honey simple syrup, and fresh lemon juice.

During the Prohibition-era, referring to something as “the bee’s knees” was a common way to say something was the best. And you could say that this cocktail recipe was the bee’s knees at covering up the smell and taste of bathtub gin.

Wait- what? Bathtub gin? Remember that this recipe dates back to the Prohibition… which means that alcohol was outlawed. With no legal way to mass-produce liquor, innovative Americans came up with alternatives. Some was made in bathtubs, yes, but that’s really just a term to refer to illicit, homemade alcohol.

Gin was the easiest of the liquors to make, which is why there are so many Prohibition-era cocktails that use gin. It was really hard to mimic the flavors of bourbon and scotch since they couldn’t risk aging anything for fear of authorities discovering their stores. (Some people actually used dead rats, rotten meat, and wood tar in attempts to emulate these distinct flavors… yeah…) If you’re interested in reading more about bathtub liquor, check out this article by the Smithsonian and this one by Prohibition: An Interactive History (super cool site, btw).

The Bee's Knees cocktail recipe has been around since the Prohibition. This classic cocktail has only three simple ingredients, making it the perfect cocktail for anyone looking to get into mixing drinks at home. You'll need gin, honey simple syrup, and fresh lemon juice.

There are several different recipes out there for a Bee’s Knees cocktail. While all recipes utilize the same 3 ingredients, there are a lot of different ratios. I tried a few and found I like this one the most. I found that using equal parts lemon juice to honey syrup allowed the honey flavor to come through. Feel free to play around with the ratios a bit to see what you like.

I saw the name of this cocktail pop up somewhere in my Instagram feed a while back and it instantly caught my attention. I love bees (all insects, really).

The Bee's Knees cocktail recipe has been around since the Prohibition. This classic cocktail has only three simple ingredients, making it the perfect cocktail for anyone looking to get into mixing drinks at home. You'll need gin, honey simple syrup, and fresh lemon juice.

I really do love bugs and creepy crawlies. When I was little, my favorite past time was looking for (and collecting…) rollie pollies, worms, and beetles outside with the neighborhood kids. And when the weather didn’t allow for that, I’d get out my giant Sterlite bin filled with plastic bugs and set them up all over my room and play “insect explorer”.

One day, I’d love to add some bees to our little homestead out here in the country. How cool would it be to make a Bee’s Knees using honey my own bees made? But don’t worry, I don’t plan on adding bathtub gin to my liquor collection anytime soon.

Ingredients for a Bee’s Knees Cocktail

How to Make a Bee’s Knees Cocktail

Add all three ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

See? Easy.

Bee’s Knees

The Bee's Knees is a classic gin cocktail with honey and lemon juice.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 2 oz gin
  • ¾ oz honey simple syrup (see note for recipe)
  • ¾ oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice.
  • Shake well, about 20 seconds.
  • Strain into a coupe glass.
  • Garnish with a lemon twist.

Notes

To make the honey simple syrup, heat 1 part water to 1 part honey until the honey dissolves into the water. This makes it much easier to incorporate honey into an ice-cold drink. For more information about honey simple syrup, you can read my post about it.
Keyword gin, honey, honey simple syrup, lemon, lemon juice

If you enjoyed this drink, you’re sure to like my spiced honey French 75. \\