Restaurants›The Back Abbey Of St. Bernardus›Bees Knees Recipe

Bees Knees Recipe

Inspired by The Back Abbey Of St. Bernardus

Time10m

Serves1

Barr Hill Gin, Fresh Lemon Juice, Barr Hill Honey from the bees kept on the grounds of Barr Hill Distillery.

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Ingredients

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Cocktail

2 oz Barr Hill Gin3/4 oz Fresh lemon juice3/4 oz Barr Hill honey syrup (see Honey syrup sub-ingredients)6 cubes Ice - for shaking

Honey syrup (2:1 honey to water)

4 tbsp Barr Hill honey (or other floral honey)2 tbsp Warm water

Garnish

1 piece Lemon twist1 piece Optional: small sprig of thyme or edible flower

Method

Honey syrup (make ahead)

Combine and dissolve

In a small bowl or jar, combine Barr Hill honey and warm water in a 2:1 ratio (4 tbsp honey to 2 tbsp warm water). Stir vigorously until the honey is fully dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Let cool to room temperature. Store refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.

Cocktail assembly

Chill glass

Place a coupe or martini glass in the freezer or fill with ice water to chill while you prepare the cocktail.

Measure

Measure 2 oz Barr Hill Gin, 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice, and 0.75 oz of the prepared Barr Hill honey syrup.

Dry shake (optional)

If you prefer a slightly silkier mouthfeel, first add the gin, lemon juice, and honey syrup to a cocktail shaker without ice and shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds to fully emulsify the honey.

Shake with ice

Add 6 ice cubes to the shaker (enough to fill ~2/3 of the shaker). Seal and shake hard for 12–15 seconds until the shaker is well chilled and slightly frosted on the outside.

Strain

Discard ice or water from your chilled glass. Double-strain the cocktail through a Hawthorne strainer and fine mesh strainer into the chilled coupe or martini glass to remove ice shards and any pulp.

Garnish and serve

Express a lemon twist over the drink to release oils, run the twist around the rim if desired, then drop it into the glass. Optionally garnish with a small thyme sprig or edible flower. Serve immediately.