The Bee Sting is a modern cocktail that has grown in popularity as bartenders have explored the balance between sweetness, citrus, and spice. While it lacks the centuries of history enjoyed by classics such as the Old Fashioned or Margarita, it has quickly earned a place on cocktail menus around the world.
The drink builds upon a long tradition of using honey in mixed drinks. Honey has been used as a sweetener for centuries and offers far more character than refined sugar alone. Its floral notes and natural richness add depth, complexity, and texture to cocktails.
One of the most famous honey-based cocktails is the Bee's Knees. Created during the Prohibition era, it combined gin, lemon, and honey to soften the harsh spirits often available at the time. The cocktail became a classic and remains popular today.
The Bee Sting takes inspiration from that same combination of sweetness and citrus. However, it introduces an additional element that has become increasingly fashionable in modern cocktail culture. Heat.
Spicy cocktails have enjoyed a surge in popularity over recent years. Bartenders have discovered that carefully balanced spice can elevate fresh fruit and citrus flavours, creating drinks that are exciting, memorable, and highly refreshing.
Our version takes a slightly different approach. Rather than using honey, we use a simple sugar syrup to create a cleaner profile. This allows the citrus and botanicals within the gin to shine more clearly.
The real star of the show is the spice. Gentle chilli heat builds gradually across the palate without overpowering the drink. The result is fresh, vibrant, and full of character.
To complete the experience, we add a spicy rim. This provides an immediate burst of flavour with every sip and enhances the contrast between sweetness, citrus, and heat.
The result is a cocktail that is bright, refreshing, and wonderfully balanced. Sweetness, spice, and citrus combine to create a drink that certainly lives up to its name.
Ease of Making: Easy
Glass Type: Coupe
Taste: Blend of sweet, spicy, and citrus flavours.
Recipe:
- 60 ml Great Bustard Gin
- 30 ml Lemon Juice
- 30ml Jalapeno Sugar Syrup
- ½ Jalapeno
- Ice
Method:
- Create your Jalapeno sugar syrup (½ Jalapeno).
- Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker.
- Shake hard, longer you shake the greater the spice / heat.
- Zest the rim with lemon peel and spice.
- Strain cocktail into your glass.
- Garnish with either lemon or Jalapeno.
Alternative Options:
- Add 20ml of Ancho Reyes which is a chilli liqueur.
- Switch the sugar syrup for honey.
- Switch the sugar syrup with 30ml of Bärenjäger – a German honey liqueur.
- Switch gin for a tequila.
- Garnish with Jalapeno instead of lemon.
- Add a spiced rim like a margarita.
