The Bee’s Knees

I was first introduced to this cocktail at Juniper in Tulsa.   Then, I had one again at a local garden center’s spring preview festivities (Grogg’s Green Barn).   I know it is now Fall, but I have not been able to get it out of my head.

There are lots of recipes for this cocktail out there.   Some use gin and some vodka.   Some use honey, some use simple syrup. I even found some that used sweet and sour mix.

At Juniper, they use a handcrafted honeycomb-infused vodka.   I thought about trying this…but didn’t. Instead I decided to infuse the honey simple syrup with some lavender.   Here’s my version.

Honey-Lavender Simple Syrup

1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. water
1/2 T. lavender flowers (I used fresh.)

Bring honey, water and lavender to a boil.  Stir to incorporate honey and water.

Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool; strain out the lavender.

Pour into a half-pint jar and store in refrigerator.

Now for the cocktail:

The Bee’s Knees

2 oz. vodka
3/4 oz.  fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. honey-lavender simple syrup

Add all ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice.

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with a lemon twist and/or a sprig of lavender.

To make this a little less lethal, you can also top it off with sparkling water.  (I recommend making a double and serving it topped with a little fizz in a highball glass over ice.)

Inspiration for this post came from from Juniper , Lavender-Honey Simple Syrup and The Bee’s Knees.