This tasty Queen Bee gin cocktail is a slight variation on the Prohibition era Bees Knees cocktail. The history of the Bees Knees cocktail has a few colorful variations. One version is that it was created by Austrian-born Frank Meiers, the first head bartender at the Ritz in Paris in the 1920's.

Another version is that the Bees Knees was invented by Margaret Tobin Brown, otherwise known as "the unsinkable Molly Brown," one of a few who survived the sinking of the Titanic. Margaret Brown lived between Denver and Paris during Prohibition and may have frequented the Paris Ritz where she could have come into contact with Frank Meiers.

Another theory is that the Bees Knees was invented out of the need to disguise harsh bathtub gin that was illicitly manufactured during Prohibition.

Click to download our free e-cookbook: 15 Recipes To Make You Look Like A Star

 

Possibly all of the above theories are partially true. Perhaps Frank Meier invented the Bees Knees in Paris. Molly Brown discovered it while visiting the Ritz and brought it back to Denver where the cocktail was appreciated for its ability to make bathtub gin more palatable. Or flip that, and Molly Brown invented the Bees Knees in Denver and imported it to Paris where she told Frank Meier how to make them at the Ritz. Success has many fathers!

The Queen Bee Gin Cocktail is Made with Empress 1908 Gin

My spin on the Bees Knees is the Queen Bee gin cocktail, which is made with purple-hued Empress 1908 gin. I guess I could have named it the Empress Bee, instead of the Queen Bee. Empress 1908 gin is the collaboration of Victoria Distilleries and the Empress Hotel in Victoria, Canada. Empress gin is made in small batches in copper stills and uses Empress tea and an array of botanicals to achieve its flavor and beautiful color.

Butterfly pea blossoms provide the extravagant purple color. What I love about the gin is it pours out a deep indigo blue and then changes color depending on what you mix it with. The final cocktail may be lavender, pink, grape or bright fuchsia. How fun is that? Additional botanicals include juniper, grapefruit peel, coriander seed, cinnamon bark, rose petal and ginger root. Consider experimenting with with one or more of these botanicals when garnishing your drinks made with Empress 1980 gin. I like to use large over-sized square ice cubes and place my garnishes right on top of the cube.

Note: SNFD is an Amazon affiliate and we may make a small commission when you purchase through our links.

Add a Little Heat to The Queen Bee with Mike's Hot Honey

You can subtly change the flavor of this cocktail by varying the honey you use. For this version I like to use Mike's Hot Honey to give the drink a spicy kick. You make a honey syrup by heating 50% honey and 50% water just enough to dissolve the honey. I typically heat it for a few seconds in the microwave to get the honey to go into solution.

.

If you are not familiar with Mike's Hot Honey, you will thank me for the introduction. It is a wonderful cheese accompaniment and is delicious on everything from pizza, to corn bread, to salmon, not to mention a variety of cocktails. This is not a single-purpose condiment; you will put it on everything! It also makes a wonderful hostess gift. Print