The Bee’s Knees: A Complete History & Classic Recipe

The Bee’s Knees is the taste of sunshine caught in a glass — bright, floral, and sweet with the hum of history beneath its golden surface. Born in the shadows of Prohibition, this deceptively simple blend of gin, honey, and lemon captured both the ingenuity and optimism of its age.

It’s a cocktail that transformed necessity into art — and remains one of the purest expressions of balance in mixology: a little sweet, a little sour, endlessly refreshing.

I. Origins

The Bee’s Knees emerged during Prohibition-era America (1920–1933), when gin flowed freely but not always smoothly.

Bootleggers and amateur distillers churned out “bathtub gin” — harsh, unrefined, and often dangerous. Bartenders and home mixologists alike sought ways to mask the roughness. Lemon and honey were the perfect disguise: the acid cut through the bite, while the honey softened the edges.

The name “Bee’s Knees” was a popular slang phrase of the 1920s, meaning “the best” or “top-notch.” The drink’s title reflected the jazz-age confidence of its creators — part marketing, part rebellion, and part charm.

While no single inventor is definitively credited, cocktail historians often associate it with Marguerite “Maggie” de la Fuente, a pioneering female bartender who worked at the Hotel Ritz Paris during the 1920s. Some accounts suggest she created it for American expats craving a taste of home — something sweet, sharp, and thoroughly modern.

II. Historical Evolution

Prohibition (1920s–1930s)

The Bee’s Knees began as a survival strategy: a way to make illicit gin drinkable. It quickly became a symbol of Prohibition creativity, showing that great taste can emerge from constraint.

Mid-Century Decline

After Prohibition ended, the Bee’s Knees largely disappeared from bar menus. The postwar cocktail era favored spirit-forward drinks like Martinis and Manhattans. Honey syrup — labor-intensive and sticky — gave way to the easier, cheaper simple syrup.

Craft Revival (2000s–Present)

In the 21st-century cocktail renaissance, bartenders rediscovered the Bee’s Knees as a model of natural simplicity. The modern palate, increasingly drawn to local honey, botanical gins, and farm-fresh citrus, found in the Bee’s Knees a perfect metaphor for contemporary craft values.

Today, it’s both a Prohibition-era time capsule and a modern classic — a drink that proves three perfect ingredients can say everything.

III. Ingredients & Technique

The Bee’s Knees follows the classic sour family formula — spirit + citrus + sweetener — but replaces sugar with honey for warmth and depth.

Core Components

• Gin: London Dry for sharpness or floral New Western gin for softness.

• Honey Syrup: A 2:1 mixture of honey and hot water for easy integration.

• Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed, bright, and vibrant.

The Ideal Ratio

• 2 parts gin

• 0.75 parts honey syrup

• 0.75 parts lemon juice

This creates a golden equilibrium — light enough to refresh, rich enough to linger.

IV. Cultural Significance

The Bee’s Knees is more than a cocktail; it’s a symbol of Prohibition ingenuity and the persistence of beauty in hard times.

In the 1920s, cocktails were both rebellion and release — acts of small joy in defiance of the law. The Bee’s Knees captured that mood perfectly: an affordable luxury, a touch of sweetness in a bitter age.

It also became a celebration of female creativity. Many early references credit women bartenders and hostesses for its popularity, highlighting the hidden yet vital role women played in shaping American cocktail culture.

In modern mixology, the Bee’s Knees is cherished as a template for experimentation — a base for herbal infusions, barrel aging, and floral enhancements. Yet at its heart, it remains a lesson in restraint.

Three ingredients. Infinite grace.

V. How to Make the Classic Version Today

Recipe — The Classic Bee’s Knees

Ingredients

• 2 oz (60 ml) gin

• 0.75 oz (22 ml) fresh lemon juice

• 0.75 oz (22 ml) honey syrup (2 parts honey, 1 part hot water)

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice.

2. Shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds.

3. Double strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass.

4. Garnish with a lemon twist or edible flower.

Specs

• Glass: Coupe or Nick & Nora

• Ice: Shaken, served up

• Garnish: Lemon twist, optional lavender sprig

• Style: Classic shaken sour

Technique Notes

• Warm the honey before mixing to create a smooth syrup.

• Choose high-quality, floral honey (orange blossom, wildflower, or clover).

• Balance depends on acidity — adjust honey or lemon slightly to taste.

Variations & Lineage

• Lavender Bee’s Knees: Add a few drops of lavender bitters or syrup.

• Smoky Bee’s Knees: Use peated gin or mezcal for a modern edge.

• Herbal Bee’s Knees: Muddle basil, thyme, or rosemary before shaking.

• Winter Bee’s Knees: Swap lemon for blood orange or grapefruit.

Service & Pairing Tip

• Perfect as an aperitif or brunch cocktail.

• Pairs beautifully with cheese boards, citrus desserts, or honey-drizzled pastries.

VI. Modern Variations & Legacy

The Bee’s Knees stands today as a template of balance and a triumph of simplicity.

Its influence extends across contemporary cocktail design — inspiring honey-based riffs from the Gold Rush (bourbon version) to the Penicillin (smoky Scotch variant). Each shares the same structure, proof that a perfect formula never fades.

More than a drink, the Bee’s Knees represents the enduring human instinct to turn scarcity into art. From bathtub gin to craft distilleries, from whispered speakeasies to Michelin-starred bars, its humble alchemy continues to shine.

And like its namesake, it remains — quite literally — the best.