Tag Archives: Bees Knees cocktail recipe

Drink of the Week: Earls Bees Knees

Ever since the bar at Earls switched over to fresh herbs, juices and house made syrups back in 2011, I have been a big fan of their cocktails. Beverage director Cameron Bogue refreshes the list every four months or so, and I had the opportunity to sample a selection of their summer sips at Earls Tin Palace in Mission last week.

The menu includes a great mix of classics such as a margarita, amaretto sour and even a re-imagined pina colada (with fresh watermelon). But it was the light, lemony taste of the Bees Knees, sweetened with honey and Cointreau, that seemed the most apropos for spring. And that glass! Too cute, and its contents are tasty to boot. You might say it’s the bee’s knees (sorry).

I love this spring cocktail. Gin, lemon juice and honey suits the season.

I love this spring cocktail. Gin, lemon juice and honey suits the season, plus the Cointreau is a nice touch. And how cute is that glass?

Earls Bees Knees

  • 3/4 oz honey syrup
  • 1 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 oz Hendricks gin
  • 3/4 oz Cointreau
  • 3 dashes Angostura bitters
  • Garnish: Lemon zest and a wooden honey dipper

Method: Measure all ingredients (except garnish) into a mixing glass and fill with ice. Top the mixing glass with a stainless steel shaking tin. Shake ingredients vigorously 12 times to mix. Strain the cocktail into a honey bear jar over fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon zest and a wooden honey dipper.

— Recipe courtesy Earls

Drink of the Week: Bees Knees (with Brugal rum)

I haven’t written about rum cocktails for awhile, so it was fortuitous that I received samples of a trio of Brugal rums from the Dominican Republic: the Brugal 1888, a sipper; Brugal Anejo, a dark rum; and Brugal Extra Dry, a light rum perfect for summer cocktails like the mojito or daiquiri. Brugal’s angle with the light rum is that it’s “extra dry.” How does this translates with taste? It’s light and crisp and not too sweet. And it mixes well with lemon juice and honey syrup to create the rummy Bees Knees.

This twist on a Bees Knees cocktail features smooth Brugal rum and bitters for extra spice.

This twist on a Bees Knees cocktail features smooth rum and bitters for extra spice.

Yes, it’s true that Bees Knees is a wedding season cocktail traditionally made with gin, but I think it works really well with rum. The honey syrup is naturally sweet, the perfect foil to the dry rum and tart lemon juice. I also love the addition of Angostura bitters — they add a spicy kick reminiscent of a rum punch but in a much lighter, more summery cocktail.

Bees Knees

  • 2 oz Brugal Extra Dry Rum
  • 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 oz honey syrup (1:1 ratio honey to water)
  • 3 dashes Angostura bitters

Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled coupe (I used a martini glass).

— Recipe courtesy Brugal Rum