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Bitters give a cocktail that certain something, and in this Lavender Bee's Knees they are the key ingredient. The addition of lavender bitters creates a delicious twist on a classic gin cocktail.

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Ingredients
How to Make a Lavender Bee's Knees
Recipe Tips
Try These Gin and Honey Cocktails
How should I garnish a Lavender Bee's Knees?
Happy Hour Snack Pairings
More Delicious Recipes You'll Love
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Lavender Bee’s Knees Recipe

A Bee's Knees cocktail is a classic that's been on drink menus since the Prohibition era. Adding lavender bitters creates a delightful floral twist on this classic cocktail with minimal effort.

Honey simple syrup is quick and easy to make and since it lasts for weeks, it's something I keep in the refrigerator at all times. Which is why I use lavender bitters to flavor this cocktail - no special lavender honey syrup required! (Though if you want to make some, use my lavender syrup recipe and just swap out honey for the sugar.)

Garnish this drink with a sugar rim to make your cocktail feel extra special. Run a slice of lemon around part or all of the rim of your glass, then dip it into a shallow dish filled with sugar. I used colored sugar in the photos here, but that's entirely up to you!

Looking for more lavender cocktails? Try my popular Lavender Lemon Drop Martini or Refreshing Lavender Blueberry Gin Cocktail.

Ingredients

Gin - Choose your favorite gin for this cocktail. If you're new to gin, try a dry London gin like Beefeater that has less of a juniper flavor.
Fresh lemon⁠ - There's only 4 ingredients in this cocktail, so fresh citrus is important. Squeeze a fresh lemon for this recipe. You should need about half a lemon per cocktail.
Honey syrup⁠ - Easy to make at home with 2 ingredients, honey syrup is an essential ingredient in this drink. Visit my honey syrup recipe page for all the details on making honey syrup at home.
Lavender bitters - Find these at your local liquor store or order them online. This is bringing all the lavender flavor the drink, so you don't want to leave it out.

How to Make a Lavender Bee's Knees

Combine gin, lemon juice, honey syrup, and lavender bitters together in a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes.

Pouring lemon juice into a cocktail shaker.

Shake well.

Strain into a Nick and Nora or coupe glass.

Enjoy! ⁠

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Recipe Tips

Make your honey syrup ahead of time so it has plenty of time to chill in the refrigerator. It should be cold before using it in your drink.
This is a small cocktail, designed to be sipped, so serving it in a chilled glass is ideal. To chill your glass, fill it with ice before starting your cocktail preparation. Once your drink is done, toss out the ice (and any water that's melted along with it), and strain in your drink.

Try These Gin and Honey Cocktails

Gin and honey are a delicious combination. Love this lavender bee's knees? Try a classic bee's knees cocktail or my honey orange gin cocktail.

Honey Orange Gin Cocktails — Honey Orange Gin Cocktail

How should I garnish a Lavender Bee's Knees?

You can garnish with a thin slice of lemon, a lemon twist, or even fresh lavender sprigs, but my favorite garnish for this Lavender Bee's Knees recipe is a sugar rim.

How to do it: Before you make your cocktail, run a lemon slice on the edge of your glass and dip the glass into a shallow plate of raw or colored sugar. You can also mix crushed lavender flowers into the sugar for an extra special touch.

Happy Hour Snack Pairings

I love a salty snack with a tart cocktail. Try pairing your Lavender Bee's Knees drink with my apple, bacon, and goat crostini or these easy barbecue oyster crackers.