I had never heard of a ‘Bee’s Knees’ until last year. I had heard people use the saying in old movies or maybe in conversation but I didn’t know that it was a cocktail.

When I discovered it, I thought, where has this been all my drinking life?  In its simplest form, it is lemon juice, honey, and gin or vodka. I prefer a Bee’s Knees with gin, but if you are a vodka drinker, I am sure that it is equally refreshing. After all, it’s like a delicious boozy lemonade. 

My gin preference is the French Citadelle gin because it is balanced, soft and citrusy with enough juniper to remind you that you are drinking gin but not so much that it tastes like a pine tree. I think of it as gin for brown spirits lovers because so many of my fellow brown spirits lovers have gravitated to it.

So, I was doubly excited when I discovered their new Jardin d’Ete gin. One look at the beautiful label and the signature pale blue vintage-looking glass bottle and I wanted to try it. Jardin d’Ete translates to ‘summer garden,’ and the delicate, fresh new gin is inspired by the summer garden of the brand’s Château de Bonbonnet. The aromatic spirit is a composition of 22 botanicals, with juniper berries, orange peel, whole lemons, yuzu zest and the prized French melon Charentais—think of a smaller more intense cantaloupe—being the main ones. The orange, lemon, yuzu and melon notes makes it my choice for a Bee’s Knees cocktail. 

It is the perfect spirit to add to the Pink House Alchemy Bee’s Knees cocktail kit. The kit comes with Honeysuckle bitters, dehydrated lemon slices, bee pollen lavender rimming sugar, a recipe card for the pH version of a Bee’s Knees Cocktail, and Lavender simple syrup to be used instead of honey. Since the lavender comes from France, it is the perfect recipe to pair with the new Jardin d’Ete gin from France—a match made in “French summer garden heaven.”

Pink House Alchemy is named for a 115-year old pink house that co-owner and veteran chef, Emily Lawson lived in when Pink House Alchemy (pH) was launched. The Fayetteville, AR, based business makes unique simple syrups, shrubs and bitters designed for making craft cocktails at home. But the syrups are so flavorful that they can be used for cooking, baking and ice cream making as well.  

When you open a bottle, it is like getting a homemade gift from a friend. The flavors are both balanced and concentrated—and taste and feel handmade. I love the Lavender syrup that comes in the cocktail kit but there are many more to choose from with exotic flavors like Hibiscus Rose, Mexican Chile and Cardamon as well as classic Vanilla Bean, Tonic and Ginger. The shrubs and bitters are equally intriguing and delicious. The team at Pink House Alchemy is inspired by the patterns in roots, barks, fruits, herbs and botanicals that naturally complement each other like the sarsaparilla syrup and bitters they make from the sarsaparilla root found in the Ozarks. If you don’t think you are familiar with sarsaparilla, you probably are and don’t know it as it is the root used to make root beer.

When you think about summer host/hostess gifts this summer, give your hosts a gift everyone can get excited about. A bottle of the new Citadelle Jardin d’Ete gin and the Pink House Alchemy Bee’s Knees cocktail kit is a gift that is both unexpected and festive. Best of all, it is a welcome change from the ‘same ole same ole’ bottle of wine. The Citadelle Jardin d’Ete gin has a suggested retail price of $24.99 and the Pink House Alchemy cocktail kit is $40.00 and available online.

Pink House Alchemy Bee’s Knees Cocktail

Recipe adapted from the pH Bee’s Knees cocktail kit.

Makes 1 drink

2          ounces gin (or vodka) such as Citadelle Jardin d’Ete

3/4      ounce fresh-squeezed lemon juice

3-6       dashes of pH Honeysuckle bitters

½         ounce of pH Lavender syrup

Prepare a coupe or sour glass by rimming the glass with the lavender bee pollen sugar.  

Stir or shake cocktail ingredients and ice and strain into prepared glass. 

Garnish with dehydrated lemon wheel.