The Bee's Knees is a three-ingredient Prohibition classic: gin, fresh lemon, and honey, shaken into perfect balance. This version keeps that balance and adds a twist no one else can: made with FLORENA Butterfly Pea Gin, it starts a deep indigo and shifts to pink as the lemon hits. Here is the classic Bee's Knees recipe, the all-important honey syrup, and the color-changing trick.
Ingredients with Notes
- 2 oz FLORENA Butterfly Pea Gin
- 0.75 oz Fresh lemon juice
- 0.75 oz Honey syrup (or raw honey, slightly warmed)
How to Make It
Prepare honey syrup
If using raw honey, warm it gently in a small saucepan with an equal part water (1:1) until fully dissolved and pourable. This makes it mix easily in cold cocktails. Cool before using.
Combine and stir
Add ice to a mixing glass. Pour in FLORENA Butterfly Pea Gin, fresh lemon juice, and honey syrup. Stir with a bar spoon for 20–25 seconds — enough to chill and slightly dilute without losing texture.
Watch the color
FLORENA Butterfly Pea Gin starts as deep indigo-blue. As the acidic lemon juice contacts it, watch it shift toward violet and pink. This reaction happens naturally from the butterfly pea flowers — no artificial coloring.
Serve
Strain into a chilled coupe or pour over a single large ice cube in a rocks glass. Garnish with a thin lemon wheel or a small fresh flower if available.
Make the honey syrup first
Raw honey is too thick to mix into a cold cocktail, so turn it into honey syrup. Warm equal parts honey and water in a small saucepan until fully dissolved and pourable, then cool. This one step is what keeps a Bee's Knees smooth instead of clumpy.
A short history of the Bee's Knees
The Bee's Knees was born during Prohibition, when lemon and honey were used to mask the taste of rough bathtub gin. The name was 1920s slang for the best of the best. Today the gin needs no masking, but the balance of honey and citrus remains one of the great three-ingredient cocktails.
The color-changing twist
Made with FLORENA Butterfly Pea Gin, this Bee's Knees starts a deep indigo and shifts toward violet and pink as the lemon juice hits, thanks to the natural pigments in the butterfly pea flower. Same classic honey and lemon balance, now with a little chemistry in the glass.
Variations
- Bee's Knees with a twist: add a few drops of orange bitters.
- Sparkling Bee's Knees: top with a splash of soda or prosecco.
- Lavender Bee's Knees: use a lavender-infused honey syrup.
Bartender Notes
The color science
Butterfly pea flowers are natural pH indicators. In alkaline or neutral environments they're blue-indigo. Citrus (acidic) shifts them toward violet, pink, and magenta. The reaction is instant and visible.
Honey variety
Raw local honey adds the most flavor depth. Clover honey is mild and works in any cocktail; buckwheat honey adds robust earthiness; orange blossom honey adds a floral note that complements the gin botanicals.
Classic roots
The Bee's Knees was created during Prohibition to mask the taste of rough bathtub gin with lemon and honey. FLORENA Gin doesn't need masking — but the combination remains one of the most balanced three-ingredient drinks ever created.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Bee's Knees cocktail?
A Prohibition-era gin cocktail made with gin, fresh lemon juice, and honey syrup, shaken or stirred and served chilled.
How do I make honey syrup?
Warm equal parts honey and water until dissolved, then cool. It mixes smoothly into cold drinks, unlike raw honey.
What gin is best for a Bee's Knees?
A quality botanical gin. FLORENA Butterfly Pea Gin adds a color-changing effect on top of the classic balance.
Why does my Bee's Knees change color?
If you use butterfly pea gin, the flower's natural pigments shift from blue to pink when the acidic lemon juice is added.
Can I make it without honey syrup?
Honey syrup is traditional and best, but a simple syrup works in a pinch, with a small spoon of honey stirred in.
Is a Bee's Knees sweet or sour?
Balanced. Honey sweetness is offset by fresh lemon, landing between a sour and a lightly sweet sipper.