A Bees Knees has been my cocktail of summer, one of the rare indicators that yes, it is in fact Friday. The name is an homage to the honey simple syrup that offsets the tang of the lemon but also provides added flavor.
If you haven’t tried it, you can use aquafaba (the weird syrupy water from a can of chickpeas) to aerate and froth your cocktails! It sounds wild (and honestly, kind of gross) but it’s delicious and will make you feel like a craft mixologist. You can also use egg white to achieve the same frothiness!
We used pink lemons which offer a hint of extra sweetness, and a pretty gorgeous garnish (the flesh is light pink and the peel is a yellow and green gradient stripe).
You’ll only use a portion of the simple syrup, so save the remainder in the refrigerator for about a month.
A liquid ounce measuring glass like this will make your cocktail come together in a snap, but if you don’t have one, note that 1 oz = 2 TBS.
FOOD LA LA RECIPE: BEES KNEES
Ingredients:
¼ cup honey (you’ll use .5 oz of honey simple syrup)
2 oz gin
½ oz aquafaba (or egg white)
1 oz lemon juice + 1 slice for garnish
Steps:
Honey simple syrup: In a small saucepan, combine honey with ¼ cup water. Warm and stir over medium low just until the honey has dissolved (do not boil). Let cool.
In a shaker, combine .5 oz of honey simple syrup with aquafaba (or egg white), lemon, and gin. Fill with ice and shake vigorously.
Serve martini style, or in a small rocks glass with a large ice cube.
Garnish with a slice of lemon.