This Orange Blossom Bee’s Knees Cocktail Tastes Like Summer

Orange Blossom Bee’s Knees cocktail. By Nina Dougherty

In the 1920s and ’30s, calling someone “the bee’s knees” was high praise. However, it’s also the name of a Prohibition-era gin cocktail made with lemon juice and honey to mask the flavor of bathtub gin. Savvy bartenders now use Vermont-made Barr Hill Gin, a boutique spirit finished with raw honey. Surf & Turf mixologist Kindiana “KiKi” Crenshaw puts a summertime spin on the classic by adding blood orange bitters and POM Antioxidant Super Tea, a white tea with orange blossoms. In short, the pretty cocktail truly is “the bee’s knees.”

• 2 ounces of Barr Hill Gin
• 1 ounce of fresh local honey syrup*
• 1 ounce of fresh lemon juice
• 3 dashes of blood orange bitters
• 2 ounces of POM Antioxidant Super Tea

Garnish with a honeysuckle sprig and a brûléed blood orange wheel.

*To make honey syrup, combine 2 ounces of honey with 1 ounce of hot water in a sealed container. Shake until integrated. Let cool. It makes enough for 4 drinks.

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