Meet the Basil Bee – a zesty, herbaceous twist on the classic Bee’s Knees. With fresh basil, lemon, gin, and honey syrup, it’s a bright, garden-inspired sip perfect for summer. Easily made alcohol-free!
You know summer is finally here when your basil is flourishing! I’ll find any excuse to use it, and this is what has been happening at home lately…the Basil Bee! I love this with gin, but it’s also really good with Seedlip, if you’re going alcohol-free. If you are in Spokane, you can order one at one of my favorite restaurants, Outsider.
Why You’ll Love The Basil Bee Knees
This Basil Bee cocktail is a riff on the classic Bee’s Knees cocktail from the 1920s. It was created by Austrian-born bartender, Frank Meier. Our version highlights fragrant summer basil. It’s lemony, bright, herbal, and refreshing! My favorite kind of cocktail! The classic Bee’s Knees is made with honey simple syrup, gin and fresh lemon and we’ve mimicked that here, but added fresh basil. Looking for a classic Bees Knees? Check out Kathryn’s classic Bee’s Knees Cocktail.
BaSil Bee Variations
- Create a flavorful mocktail! Skip the gin and try Seedlip Garden non-alcoholic spirit in its place.
- Lighten it up with a splash of mineral water, and serve it over ice in a highball glass, or a rocks glass.
- Substitute Gin with Vodka
- Vegan? Skip the honey simple syrup and use regular simple syrup. Tastes very similar!
Basil Bee Ingredients
- Basil: Use fresh basil leaves, torn—preferably from your garden, if you have it!
- Honey simple syrup: This is simple to make on your own—one part raw honey mixed with one part water, brought to a simmer in a small saucepan. Visit our honey syrup post for more details.
- Fresh lemon juice: Enhances the summery flavor and adds delightful citrus.
- Gin: Use an herbal, botanic gin.
- Ice: For shaking.
- Optional Garnish: Sugar for the rim, basil sprig, lemon zest, thyme, flowers like lavender, nasturtium, zinnia, marigold, etc., and mini clothespins!
How to Make A BEES KNEES WITH BASIL!
1. Fill the shaker. Fill a shaker halfway with ice, then add basil leaves, gin, and lemon juice.
2. Muddle and shake. Muddle the basil leaves into the ice for one minute. Add honey simple syrup, then place the lid on the cocktail shaker and shake for 30 seconds or more. Remember that the ice enhances the flavor of the cocktail, so take your time here.
3. Create a sugar rim. Rub the rim of the glass with a halved lemon and dip it in a bowl of sugar.
4. Strain and garnish. Strain the cocktail into the sugar-rimmed glass and garnish with basil, lemon zest, or flowers. TIP: use mini clothespins to attach flowers or herbs, or float it on top of the drink.
Cocktail Serving Tips
- Serve in a chilled coupe glass, with a sugar rim.
- Garnish with basil sprig, lemon zest, flowers like lavender, nasturtium, zinnia, marigold, etc.
- Use mini clothespins for pinning garnishes to the edge of the glass here.
- When serving for a crowd, pre-sugar the rims with the garnish attached, and place them on a tray in the freezer.
Batch make It For a crowd
Instead of muddling, use a blender. Pulse basil, gin and lemon juice in a blender or mini blender, pulse repeatedly and store this in the fridge until ready to strain into a pitcher. Strain and add simple syrup to the pitcher. For example, mix 2 cups gin, with 1 cup lemon juice and a huge handful of basil. Blend and chill. Strain into a pitcher and stir in 1 cup of honey simple syrup: you can now use this pitcher to shake 2-3 drinks at a time with ice in the shaker. Pour each drink into a chilled cocktail glass. Shaking with ice enhances it and also helps dilute it- it’s a pretty strong drink.
Hope you enjoy this refreshing summer drink! It has become one of my new favorite drinks, plus, it’s a great recipe for entertaining. Let us know what you think in the comments, and don’t forget to rate the recipe. Cheers!
More Summer Cocktail Recipes!
Basil Bee Cocktail
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 coctail
- Category: cocktail
- Method: shaken
- Cuisine: American
Description
Meet the Basil Bee – a bright, herbaceous cocktail crafted with fresh basil, gin, honey syrup, and lemon. This refreshing drink is perfect for summer evenings, brunches, or your next cocktail party.
Ingredients
- Ice
- 10–12 basil leaves, torn
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ounce honey simple syrup (see notes)
- 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
- Garnish: sugar for the rim, basil sprig, or flowers like lavender, nasturtium, zinnia, marigold, etc.
Instructions
- Fill a shaker halfway with ice. Add basil leaves, gin and lemon juice.
- Muddle the basil leaves into the ice, muddling for a full minute. Add the honey simple syrup. Place the lid on the shaker and shake for at least 30 seconds.
- Strain into a sugar-rimmed cocktail glass and garnish as desired.
- To create the sugar rim, rub the rim of a glass with a halved lemon and dip it in a bowl of sugar. Attach the garnish using mini clothespins or float it on top of the drink.
Notes
To make honey simple syrup, mix one part honey to one part warm water, let cool.
To make for a crowd: Instead of muddling, use a blender. Pulse basil, gin and lemon juice in a blender or mini blender, pulse repeatedly and store this in the fridge until ready to strain into a pitcher. Strain and add simple syrup to the pitcher. For example, mix 2 cups gin, with 1 cup lemon juice and a huge handful of basil. Blend and chill. Strain into a pitcher and stir in 1 cup of honey simple syrup: you can now use this pitcher to shake 2-3 drinks at a time with ice in the shaker! Shaking with ice enhances it and also helps dilute it- it’s a pretty strong drink.
Nutrition
- Calories: 175
FAQs
The Bee’s Knees is a classic prohibition era cocktail made with gin, fresh lemon juice, and honey syrup, shaken and chilled, often garnished with a lemon twist. Our variation incorporates fresh basil for summer.
A similar drink would be the Tom Collins, which is made without honey—its sweetness coming from a simple sugar syrup.
Use an herby, botanical gin—my favorites are The Botanist, Gray Whale, or The Revitalist. Hendrick’s has lovely cucumber and rose notes. A citrus-forward gin could also work here. For a budget-friendly option, try Bombay Sapphire. There are many different flavors of gin—choose your favorite!
Use a raw, local honey—the best quality honey can be found at your local farmers market!
