Welcome back to yet another Mocktail Monday! Today, I’m sharing a sweet and refreshing drink that will become your new spring favorite: a bee’s knees mocktail!

This mocktail has everything you love about the OG cocktail minus the gin (and TBH, you probably won’t miss it)!

Why you’ll love this bee’s knees mocktail recipe

The flavors go so well together. Is there anything better than lemon and honey? These flavors are bright and are sure to put you in a good mood.

A twist on a classic. The bee’s knees have been around for a while – this is a great non alcoholic twist on this great cocktail! This mocktail is sure to become one of your new favorite drinks.

What is a bee’s knees mocktail?

While the origin of the bee’s knees cocktail is sort of unknown, there are two popular stories.

The first is that this drink was crafted as a way to mask the unpleasant taste of poor quality homemade gin (AKA bathtub gin). The bee’s knees cocktail was served at speakeasies and thus, became a classic prohibition era cocktail!

The second story is that it was invented at the Cafe Parisian at the Ritz Hotel in Paris by an Austrian bartender named Frank Meier. It’s said that the name came from the popular phrase “the bee’s knees” (hence the name) which means “the best”! It’s hard to argue that this drink wouldn’t be the best when served in a chilled cocktail glass!

Regardless of the story you choose to believe, it’s clear that the bee’s knees recipe has been popular for quite some time (and for good reason). It’s no surprise that the recipe is becoming popular again!

How to make honey simple syrup

I always suggest making your own simple syrup as its… well, really simple to make. However, if you want to purchase honey syrup, this one works really well. If you want to make your own honey syrup, keep reading!

Typically, simple syrup is made with equal parts sugar and water. Honey syrup follows the same 1:1 ratio rules – but instead of sugar, you use honey!

Add equal parts honey and water to a saucepan over medium heat and heat until the honey is fully dissolved. The mixture does not need to reach boiling temperature in order for the honey to dissolve. If you’d like, you can even microwave the honey and water in a microwave safe bowl.

Note: Honey syrup should last you about 2 months in the fridge in a covered mason jar or sealed container.

Ingredients

• Honey simple syrup – Whether you make it for yourself or buy a premade honey syrup, you 100% need it for this recipe!
• Lemon – More specifically, lemon juice! I highly recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice! I also love adding lemon peel or a lemon slice to my bee’s knees mocktail! It helps to brighten everything up.
• Sparkling Water – I used La Croix Limoncello, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.

Optional additions include ice, a lemon wedge, or lemon rind. They aren’t needed to make this cocktail though!

How to make a bee’s knees mocktail

For this recipe, I highly recommend grabbing a cocktail shaker! I have this one and it’s never failed me 🙂

To start, fill your cocktail shaker with ice. Add in your fresh lemon juice, honey simple syrup, and sparkling water. Shake vigorously for about 25 seconds or until the outside of the shaker is very cold (you may start to see some light frost on the shaker).

Strain your bee’s knees mocktail into a cocktail glass and, if you’d like, serve with a lemon slice or lemon rind!

Flavor variations

Looking to spice up your bee’s knees mocktail? Here are some things you can add (or change):

• Grated ginger – Spice up your bee’s knees mocktail with some ginger! I highly recommend using freshly grated ginger rather than powdered ginger but use what you have!
• Club soda – Skip the sparkling water and add some club soda! I recommend the Fever-Tree Sparkling Sicilian Lemonade!
• Maple syrup – If honey syrup isn’t your thing, you can use maple syrup instead! You may find that your lightly sweet drink is too overpowering if you swap the honey syrup, but you do you boo!
• Elderflower liqueur – If you want to to make an actual bee’s knees cocktail, I highly recommend adding a bit of elderflower liqueur to the drink. The depth of flavor pairs wonderfully with the OG gin lemon drink!

Looking for more mocktail recipes? Check these out:

• The Best Pineapple Jalapeño Mocktail
• The Best Blood Orange Grapefruit Mocktail
• The Best Blackberry Ginger Mocktail
• The Best Strawberry Moscow Mule Mocktail
• How to Make a Piña Colada Mocktail
• The Best Lemon Drop Mocktail
• Mojito Mocktail (AKA Virgin Mojito)