Bee's Knees Recipe
Barrel Aged Gin, Rosemary Honey, Lemon Saccharum, Angostura | Slight riff on the earthy sweet gem
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Ingredients
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Cocktail
Rosemary Honey Syrup
Lemon Saccharum
Method
Rosemary Honey Syrup
- 1
Make syrup
Combine 1 cup honey and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Add 3 fresh rosemary sprigs. Warm gently over medium-low heat, stirring, until the honey dissolves and the mixture comes to a very light simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat, cover, and let steep 30 minutes to 1 hour for pronounced rosemary flavor. Strain out rosemary, cool to room temperature, and transfer to a sealed bottle. Refrigerate up to 2 weeks.
Lemon Saccharum
- 2
Make saccharum
Using a microplane or fine zester, remove the yellow zest from 3 unwaxed lemons (avoid the bitter white pith). In a nonreactive bowl, combine the 3 tablespoons of zest with 1 cup granulated sugar. Rub the sugar and zest together vigorously with your fingers for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and the sugar begins to become moist and aromatic. Cover and rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to an hour; for greater intensity, let sit overnight and then sift or spoon the scented sugar into a jar, discarding large pieces of zest or keeping them for a subsequent infusion. When ready to use, weigh or measure 0.75 oz (about 1.5 tsp) worth of syrup-equivalent — to convert to liquid measure, dissolve 0.75 oz by weight of the saccharum into 0.75 oz warm water (roughly 0.75 oz saccharum + equal small amount water) or pre-make a small saccharum syrup by mixing 2 tbsp saccharum with 2 tbsp warm water and stirring until dissolved; use 0.75 oz of that liquid for the cocktail.
Cocktail
- 3
Prepare mixing glass
Fill a mixing glass or shaker with a generous amount of ice to properly chill and dilute the drink (about 1 cup).
- 4
- 5
Stir
Stir the mixture briskly for 20–30 seconds until the outside of the mixing glass is very cold and the cocktail is properly diluted and clear. The Bee's Knees is traditionally shaken, but stirring preserves the silky texture and highlights the barrel-aged gin.
- 6
Strain and finish
Double-strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass to remove tiny ice shards and any residual zest particles. Express a lemon twist over the surface to add citrus oils, rim the glass with the twist, and drop it in as garnish. Lay a fresh rosemary sprig alongside or gently slap it between your palms and rest it on top to release aromatic oils. Serve immediately.
- 7