IBA
Bee's Knees – IBA
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 15.5% ABV ∙
The Bee's Knees is a Prohibition-era gin sour of London dry gin, honey syrup, and fresh lemon and orange juice, shaken and served up in a cocktail glass.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 50 mlHoney syrup 10 mlLemon juice 20 mlOrange juice 20 ml
- Strain into the chilled cocktail glass
- Garnish with a lemon twist or an orange twist (opt.)
Tips
- Make the honey syrup by warming honey with water 1:1 so it dissolves; straight honey clumps and sinks when shaken cold with citrus.
- Squeeze the lemon and orange just before shaking; at 20 ml each, the juice makes up 40 ml of the drink, so freshness shows.
History
The Bee's Knees – IBA is the specification the International Bartenders Association added to its official list in 2020, in the New Era category. It splits the citrus evenly between lemon and orange juice, departing from the lemon-only recipe found in most earlier and present-day versions.
The Bee's Knees itself is a Prohibition-era gin, lemon and honey cocktail most often credited to Frank Meier at the Ritz Hotel's Cafe Parisien in Paris. A rival claim, from a 1929 newspaper account, traces it to socialite Margaret "Molly" Brown.
FAQ
What alcohol is in the Bee's Knees IBA?
London dry gin, 50 ml, is the only spirit. The rest is honey syrup and fresh lemon and orange juice.
Is the Bee's Knees IBA shaken or stirred?
Shaken. Honey syrup and citrus need a hard shake to mix and chill; stirred, the honey stays poorly blended.
What glass is a Bee's Knees IBA served in?
A cocktail glass, served up, optionally garnished with a lemon or orange twist.
How is the Bee’s Knees IBA made?
Shake gin, honey syrup, lemon juice, and orange juice with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
