Start the New Year Off With a Bee’s Knees Cocktail
Mixology
Recipes
Just a couple weeks ago, we celebrated the 76th anniversary of Repeal Day, or the end of the 13-year ban on “manufacture, sales, and production” of alcohol in the United States, known as Prohibition. Also referred to as the “Great Experiment,” Prohibition began in 1919 with the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, prohibiting “intoxicating liquors,” and ended in 1933 with the 21st Amendment.
As most know and others can guess, Prohibition did nothing to prevent the consumption or sale of alcohol; quite the opposite: black market production and distribution skyrocketed. Bootlegging became a lucrative industry, helped along by illegal distilleries and the rise of the speakeasy. Americans drank and purchased just as much, if not more than they did pre-Prohibition, though the quality and variety of spirits consumed was at an all-time low. Although some bootleggers brought in spirits from Cuba and the Bahamas, most alcohol consisted of bathtub gin (yes, gin made in an actual bathtub) and rotgut moonshine. And it was literally rotgut. Due to the variety of often poisonous ingredients included in these spirits, thousands of people were struck seriously and/or fatally ill after consumption during Prohibition.
As you can imagine, alcohol didn’t taste very good. If you don’t like the taste of gin now, imagine what a batch fresh from your neighbor’s bathtub tasted like back in 1925. And, as this was what the speakeasy bartenders had to work with, a little creativity was required when it came to cocktails. In fact, many of the classics that we enjoy today were created in secret basement bars during Prohibition.
Enter the Bee’s Knees: a classic cocktail that incorporated lemon juice and honey to hide the not-so-pleasant taste and aroma of the bathtub gin that was its base. The name ‘“Bee’s Knees,” an example of Prohibition-era slang, meant “the best.” We’re not so sure how accurate of a description that was, but, thankfully, today you have a variety of gins to choose from, so your version of this easy-drinking cocktail can live up to its name.
Bee’s Knees
2 oz gin
0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
0.75 oz honey
Combine all ingredients with ice in shaker; shake until cold. Strain into coupe; garnish with lemon swath.
If you’re looking for a fun and easy NYE cocktail to kick off the return of the ‘20s, the Bee’s Knees is perfect and easy to batch. So gather your friends, mix up a pitcher, switch on the ‘ol Victrola, and Charleston your way into the new decade. Cheers, and Happy New Year!