Honey Bee
4.2 44 ratings
Ingredients
How to make
Serve in a coupe glass
Prepare
- 1 Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
- 2 Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist.
Method
- 3 SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
- 4 FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
Garnish
- 5 EXPRESS lemon zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.
Flavour profile
18.1% alc./vol. · 1.4 standard drinks · 162 calories
History
This cocktail features a rum base balanced by rich honey and tart lemon juice. While many recipes omit orange juice, David Embury, in his Bee's Knees recipe, suggests that "The addition of a small amount of orange juice (about 1 to 2 parts) makes for an interesting variation." The subtle fruitiness from the orange juice complements the characterful Jamaican rum.
The 1949 edition of Esquire's Handbook for Hosts defines the Honey Bee as "1 part honey, 4 parts Bacardi, 1 part lemon juice. Mix well, then add ice and shake." David Embury, in his 1948 book The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, explains that a Bee's Knees made with white Cuban rum instead of gin is called the Honeysuckle, and the same drink with Jamaica rum is the Honey Bee. Embury also notes that the Honeysuckle is sometimes referred to as the Airmail. Since Embury's time, the Airmail is commonly understood to be a Honeysuckle lengthened with champagne.