Bee's Tease
A smoky and balanced gin cocktail ∙ Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 13.3% ABV ∙
A Bee's Tease is a gin sour shaken with honey syrup, fresh lemon juice, and cold lapsang souchong tea, served up in a coupe.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 45 mlHoney syrup 15 mlLemon juice 15 mlLapsang souchong tea 30 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express a lemon twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Brew the lapsang souchong strong and let it cool completely before you measure it. Warm tea melts the ice, so the drink ends up watery and loses its smoke.
History
The Bee's Tease is a variation on the Bee's Knees, a cocktail of gin, lemon juice, and honey that dates to the Prohibition era in the United States, when honey syrup was used in part to soften the taste of poor-quality bathtub gin. The Bee's Tease adapts this classic by adding cold Lapsang souchong tea to the gin, lemon, and honey base, lending a smoky note to the original mix.
FAQ
What is in a Bee's Tease?
London dry gin (45 ml), honey syrup (15 ml), fresh lemon juice (15 ml), and cold lapsang souchong tea (30 ml). The smoky tea gives this gin sour a campfire note alongside the honey and lemon.
Is a Bee's Tease shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The lemon juice and honey syrup need the aeration and quick chill of a hard shake; stirring would leave the drink flat and under-diluted.
What glass is a Bee's Tease served in?
A coupe glass, served up with a lemon twist. It is fine-strained, so no ice or tea sediment reaches the glass.
Is a Bee's Tease strong?
Not very. At about 13.3% ABV it is lighter than a spirit-forward drink, because the gin is stretched with tea, honey syrup, and lemon juice rather than paired with other spirits.
Is a Bee's Tease vegetarian?
Yes, this recipe is vegetarian and lactose-free, and comes in at around 143 calories per serving.
