Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Check out the crew chubby bottle (US only): bartend.link/crew-chubby-bottle
Join the community: bartend.link/STB-patreon
Grab a bottle of hot honey gin: bartend.link/hot-honey-gin
The Bees Knees is a simple variant on the classic Gin Sour utilising honey in place of sugar as the sweetener. The drink was created by Frank Meier, the first head bartender of the Hôtel Ritz Paris, during the 1920s. The Bees Knees features sweet honey and highlights the botanical notes of your preferred gin.
Tip 1 - use good honey. measure by volume to create the equivalent of a rich syrup (more details below)
Tip 2 - choose a suitable gin - I like citrusy and floral gins in a Bees Knees. Or in this case, a hot honey gin.
Tip 3 - two drops of saline solution to make it pop!
HONEY SYRUP (based on the assumption that your honey is 82 brix)
3 parts honey, 1 part water (by volume) = 66 brix (equivalent to a rich syrup)
3 parts honey, 1 part water (by weight) = 62 brix
2 parts honey, 1 part water (by volume) = 60 brix (equivalent to a semi-rich syrup)
2 parts honey, 1 part water (by weight) = 55 brix
1 part honey, 1 part water (by volume) = 48 brix (close to a simple syrup)
1 part honey, 1 part water (by weight = 41 brix
Simple syrup = 50 brix
Semi-rich syrup = 60 brix
Rich syrup = 67 brix
BEES KNEES RECIPE
2 oz (60 ml) gin
1 oz (30 ml) lemon juice
½ oz (15 ml) honey syrup, 3:1 by vol.
2 drops of saline solution (4:1)
Alternatively, you can change the gin...
Light Cuban rum = Honeysuckle,
Aged Jamaican rum = Honey Bee
Bourbon whiskey = Gold Rush (served over ice)
00:00 Bees Knees Cocktail
00:16 What is a Bees Knees?
00:33 How to make honey syrup
02:25 Bees Knees recipe
03:10 "Secret" ingredient
03:55 Bees Knees tasting
04:43 Bees Knees alternatives
Check out the crew chubby bottle (US only): bartend.link/crew-chubby-bottle
Join the community: bartend.link/STB-patreon
Grab a bottle of hot honey gin: bartend.link/hot-honey-gin
The Bees Knees is a simple variant on the classic Gin Sour utilising honey in place of sugar as the sweetener. The drink was created by Frank Meier, the first head bartender of the Hôtel Ritz Paris, during the 1920s. The Bees Knees features sweet honey and highlights the botanical notes of your preferred gin.
Tip 1 - use good honey. measure by volume to create the equivalent of a rich syrup (more details below)
Tip 2 - choose a suitable gin - I like citrusy and floral gins in a Bees Knees. Or in this case, a hot honey gin.
Tip 3 - two drops of saline solution to make it pop!
HONEY SYRUP (based on the assumption that your honey is 82 brix)
3 parts honey, 1 part water (by volume) = 66 brix (equivalent to a rich syrup)
3 parts honey, 1 part water (by weight) = 62 brix
2 parts honey, 1 part water (by volume) = 60 brix (equivalent to a semi-rich syrup)
2 parts honey, 1 part water (by weight) = 55 brix
1 part honey, 1 part water (by volume) = 48 brix (close to a simple syrup)
1 part honey, 1 part water (by weight = 41 brix
Simple syrup = 50 brix
Semi-rich syrup = 60 brix
Rich syrup = 67 brix
BEES KNEES RECIPE
2 oz (60 ml) gin
1 oz (30 ml) lemon juice
½ oz (15 ml) honey syrup, 3:1 by vol.
2 drops of saline solution (4:1)
Alternatively, you can change the gin...
Light Cuban rum = Honeysuckle,
Aged Jamaican rum = Honey Bee
Bourbon whiskey = Gold Rush (served over ice)
00:00 Bees Knees Cocktail
00:16 What is a Bees Knees?
00:33 How to make honey syrup
02:25 Bees Knees recipe
03:10 "Secret" ingredient
03:55 Bees Knees tasting
04:43 Bees Knees alternatives
