Bee's Tease
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 16.8% ABV ∙
A Bee's Tease is a gin sour shaken with honey syrup, fresh lemon juice, and cold-brewed lapsang souchong tea, served up in a coupe. Smoky tea leads on the nose, honey rounds the gin's juniper snap, and lemon pulls the finish dry and clean.
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 tea strong and cool it fully before measuring; diluting with warm tea over-waters the shake and dulls the smoky note.
- Warm the honey syrup slightly or pre-dissolve it in the lemon juice before adding to the shaker, since honey seizes when it hits cold tea and gin directly.
- Shake all four components hard with fresh ice for a full 12-15 seconds to fully integrate the tea's tannins and achieve a tight, cold texture.
- Express the lemon twist's oils over the finished drink in the coupe just before serving, then rest the peel on the rim for aroma.
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-brewed 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, honey syrup, fresh lemon juice, and cold lapsang souchong tea, shaken together and strained into a coupe. The smoked tea stands in for the usual tea-free gin sour, giving the drink a distinct campfire note alongside the honey and citrus.
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?
It is moderate in strength, at about 16.8% ABV, lighter than a straight spirit-forward drink because it is built on gin cut with tea, honey, and lemon rather than multiple spirits.
Is a Bee's Tease vegetarian?
Yes, this recipe is vegetarian and lactose-free, and comes in at around 143 calories per serving.
