Spicy, sweet and downright sassy, the Bee Sting cocktail is the hot honey version of the classic Bee’s Knees, and it is truly the bee’s knees. Made with gin, lemon juice and a homemade hot honey syrup, this buzz-worthy drink is a bold twist on the Prohibition-era cocktail that lives up to its name. If you like a little heat with your sweet, this one’s sure to sting — in the best way.
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About this Bee Sting Cocktail recipe
Spicy cocktails have their place, and that place is usually in my hand. I love to order spicy margaritas or jalapeño mules whenever I see one on a menu, especially if it’s a spicy spin on an old favorite. It’s always the perfect drink to liven up a meal.
That’s the case of the Bee Sting cocktail — it’s essentially a Bee’s Knees cocktail, but made with sweet-and-spicy hot honey *. I love to drizzle hot honey on everything (especially pizza), but mixing it into a cocktail is a new favorite way to enjoy it. You don’t have to be a serious cocktail person to appreciate this spicy riff on the Prohibition-era drink!
To make a Bee Sting, we start with hot honey. I’ll show you how to make your own with honey and chili flakes (or a little jalapeño), then make it into a syrup to shake up with gin and lemon juice. Shaken together, they balance each other out, creating a drink buzzing with flavor.
The name “bee sting” is a play on its parent’s name: “The bee’s knees“ is an old timey saying meaning that something is awesome and this spicy yet succulent cocktail is exactly that — the bee’s knees: the best lemon-honey flavor profile with a sharp sting you won’t soon forget.
More gin recipes: Classic Martini • Gin & Tonic • Ramos Gin Fizz • Pink Lady • Gin Daisy
Why you’ll love this recipe
The spicy Bee Sting cocktail is one you are going to fall in love with, even if you aren’t a gin lover.
- With just a few ingredients, this is a quick and easy cocktail to put together.
- It’s a twist on the classic recipe every spice-lover should try.
- Sweet, tart, spicy and herbal at once, its flavors are perfectly balanced.
Tools & glassware
To make this gin cocktail at home, you will need:
- Small saucepan, for making the syrup
- Fine-mesh strainer *, for the syrup
- Cocktail shaker *, for preparing the drink
- Hawthorne strainer *, for removing bits of mint and citrus pulp
- Rocks glass *, for serving
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Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to grab at the grocery store to make this recipe:
- Gin: London Dry gin works well for its crisp and botanical notes, which complement the fresh flavor of the mint. I used Hendrick’s Gin here — I love its botanical flavor for herbal-forward drinks like the Southside and the Bee’s Knees.
- Lemon juice: Fresh juice is the best and most flavorful, but if you don’t have the time, you can use the bottled concentrate. Just know it’s a bit more cloying and sour than fresh juice, so you may need to adjust the sweetness.
- Hot honey syrup: You can make a simple honey syrup by combining hot honey * with warm water. The reason you don’t use just plain hot honey is that honey can seize up when it meets ice. Diluting it with warm water makes it easier to use.
- Red chili flakes: If you’re making your own hot honey for honey syrup, you’ll need to grab the red chili flakes off the spice rack to mix up this concoction. You can also use a fresh, sliced jalapeño, poblano or habanero pepper.
For the full measurements and step-by-step instructions, head down to the recipe card. It’s all there waiting for you!
Garnishes
The Bee’s Knees is usually garnished with a piece of lemon zest, so I added a simple lemon twist, as well as a small pinch of pepper flakes for color (and a little spice). I also used my ice designer * for the honeycomb pattern on my homemade clear ice — I love this thing and it always impresses friends!
For this drink, I used rocks glasses *, but you could certainly use a coupe glass * like the Bee’s Knees normally uses.
Substitutions & variations
There are a few ways you can make this cocktail your own!
- Vodka Bee Sting cocktail: Feel free to swap the gin for vodka. They are very similar, but gin has more of an herbaceous flavor. With vodka, the flavor will be a bit cleaner. To each their own! Feel free to use your liquor of choice — it would be good with whiskey, rum or reposado tequila.
- The Business cocktail: If you use lime juice instead of lemon, you can call this cocktail “The Business.” It’s also essentially a honey gimlet.
- Non-alcoholic Bee Sting cocktail: Use a gin-esque zero-proof spirit such as Ritual gin alternative * or Seedlip Garden 108 *.
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Hot honey syrup
While you can just add hot honey to a cocktail shaker *, I don’t recommend it! Honey seizes up and turns solid when it meets ice, so it takes a longer time to shake into the drink. Honey syrup is a great workaround — the honey dissolves much faster and easier into your drink!
Here’s the best way to make homemade hot honey syrup from scratch:
In a small saucepan, gently warm the honey and red chili flakes over low heat. Add less chili flakes for a mellow heat or more to add enough kick for your liking.
Once fragrant, bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in the water and let cool completely.
Strain to a clean glass jar and seal tightly with a lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
If you don’t want to make all the syrup, don’t stir in the water. Strain, cool and jar up the hot honey to use later. Then, measure out half of what you need for drinks, then add the same amount of hot water to make a quick hot honey syrup that you can mix into your cocktail.
Instructions
Ready to make a delicious Bee Sting Cocktail? Here’s how we do it:
1. Mix the cocktail: Pour gin, hot honey syrup and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker.
2. Shake it up: Add ice to the shaker, then shake vigorously for about 15 seconds until the outside of the shaker feels cold.
3. Strain and serve: Strain the mixture into a rocks glass *. A strainer (or Boston shaker * with a built-in strainer) helps to keep the ice out of your drink.
Leftover hot honey syrup? Try it in a Honey Old-Fashioned Cocktail or a Honey Mint Julep with whiskey.
4. Garnish: Finish off by garnishing with a large ice cube, a pinch of chili flakes and a twist of lemon zest. Simply twist the lemon peel over the drink to release its oils before placing it in the glass. If you want to perch it on the rim, fold it in half and cut a small slit in the fold for the rim of the glass.
Tips & tricks
- Use a quality, local honey if you can. It has a unique flavor, known as “terroir” that comes from the local flora in your area. It can have different colors and — the best part – it supports local bee farmers and helps pollination and plant growth.
- Don’t skip the hot honey syrup. Pure honey can seize when it meets ice, making it hard to mix. Slightly watering the hot honey down with warm water makes it easier to mix.
- Shake well. Do so for about 15 seconds until the outside of the shaker feels cold. You don’t want to melt your large ice cube too much when you pour in the cocktail.
Food pairings
The Bee Sting Cocktail is a delicious drink and goes well with anything spicy, honey or lemon. Hot honey is like liquid gold and once you try it, you won’t be able to get enough!
Appetizers: Honey & bacon baked brie is perfect for a sweet-and-salty appetizer.
Dinner: Cook up some hot honey burgers and a side of hot honey brussels sprouts.
Dessert: Follow up dinner with hot honey drizzled over some baked peaches.
FAQ
The Bee’s Knees cocktail contains gin, usually London Dry gin, as well as honey and fresh lemon juice. A Bee Sting is essentially the same cocktail, but it’s made with a spicy hot honey.
Absolutely. You can substitute the gin for a non-alcoholic zero-proof spirit such as Ritual gin alternative or Seedlip Garden 108.
If your cocktail or hot honey syrup is too spicy, you don’t have to throw it down the drain. Mix the hot honey syrup with equal parts plain honey syrup to tone down the heat. If you’ve already made the cocktail, mix up another with plain honey syrup or simple syrup, then shake the two together. This should help tamp down the spiciness.
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Bee Sting Cocktail
ingredients
Hot Honey Syrup
- ½ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- ½ cup water
Bee Sting Cocktail
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ounce hot honey syrup
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- 1 pinch red chili flakes for garnish
- 1 piece lemon zest for garnish
instructions
- In a small saucepan, gently warm the honey and red chili flakes over low heat. Once fragrant, bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in the water and let cool completely.
- Strain to a clean glass jar and seal tightly with a lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add gin, hot honey syrup and lemon juice. Shake well.
- Strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube, or a coupe glass without ice. Garnish with more chili flakes and a piece or lemon zest.
notes
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Daisy L. says
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