Killer Bees Knees Recipe
Empress Gin, Lavender Syrup & Lemon Juice
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Ingredients
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Cocktail
Lavender simple syrup (makes ~8 oz)
Garnish
Method
Lavender simple syrup (make ahead)
- 1
Combine and steep
In a small saucepan combine 1 cup water and 1 cup granulated sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. Add 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender, remove from heat, cover and steep for 15 minutes.
- 2
Strain and cool
After steeping, strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean jar, pressing the lavender gently to extract flavor but not grit. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Syrup will keep 2–3 weeks refrigerated.
Cocktail assembly
- 3
Measure
Chill a coupe or Nick & Nora glass by placing it in the freezer or filling with ice water. Measure 2 oz Empress gin, 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice, 0.75 oz lavender simple syrup, 0.25 oz honey syrup. If using egg white, separate one egg and reserve the white.
- 4
- 5
Wet shake
Add a generous handful of ice to the shaker (or all the ice). Shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds until well-chilled and the exterior of the shaker is frosty. If you did not use egg white, simply combine ingredients with ice and shake until chilled.
- 6
Double strain and serve
Dump ice or water from your chilled glass. Double-strain the cocktail into the glass using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh sieve to remove ice shards and achieve a smooth texture and foam (if present).
- 7