Help save the honey bees during Bee’s Knees Week
By Becky Ellis
Celebrate Bee’s Knees Week with a Bee’s Knees Cocktail made with Barr Hill Gin. This award-winning gin is made in the heart of Vermont and has luscious wildflower honey notes with juniper botanicals.
You might say that celebrating Bees Knees Week is the snakes hips, the cat’s pajamas and the ant’s pants. These expressions have been around since the 1920’s. World Wide Words defines these nonsense catchphrases as “the comparison of something of excellent quality to some inappropriate or non-existent part of an animal with, if possible, a bit of alliteration or rhyme thrown in.” (according to www.worldwidewords.org)So that’s what the bee’s knees means – simply the best – a cocktail made with gin, honey and lemon. And who do we have to thank for this fanciful cocktail? Honey bees, of course!
Why should we take care of these buzzing pollinators?
How can you support this important initiative? Order a Bee’s Knees cocktail at your favorite bar or restaurant or make one at home. Share on your social media: #beeskneesweek and tag @barrhillgin. Barr Hill will plant 10 square feet of bee habitat for every photo shared.
I was curious to find out more about the bee habitats and the plants that attract these pollinators. In a conversation with Ryan Christiansen, President and Head Distiller, Caledonia Spirits (makers of Barr Hill Gin) , he explained:
“Prior to covid, the proceeds of Bee’s Knees Week would go towards installing bee hives in public places to educate and inspire the next generation of beekeepers. This work resulted in dozens of beehives located in parks, schools, and other public places.
In 2020, due to covid, Bee’s Knees Week changed its focus to supporting the populations of all pollinators and bees – not only honey bees. To this aim, we started planting pollinator habitat. In our first year we planted more than 74,000 square feet. This year, our goal is substantially higher – to plan 500,000 square feet of habitat.”
He went on to explain who takes care of the bee habitats once they are established: “Non-profit partners of ours, such as the Vermont-based organization Bee the Change, do the hard work of locating and protecting land, and then planting habitat.”
“There are native wildflowers and plants that are selected to ensure it’s an ideal habitat for bees and other pollinators. Plant types include milkweed, thistle, geranium, wild bergamot, ninebark, mint, rose, goldenrod, aster, spider lily, blueberry, verbena and zizia.”
“Bees have always been at the heart of Barr Hill Gin and we are committed to saving them and nurturing them by protecting their habitat,”
“Our founder was a beekeeper and we use raw honey to make our spirits, so we rely on bees quite literally. Similarly, bartenders need citrus, herbs, and other ingredients that depend on pollination and they have emerged as some of our most impassioned allies. That being said, bees are endangered due to habitat loss and other factors, and Bee’s Knees Week is our way of directly helping the bees, which our founder, Todd Hardie, calls the ‘Angels of agriculture.’”
Ready to enjoy a Bee’s Knees Cocktail? Here’s the Barr Hill recipe:
Barr Hill Gin Bee’s Knees Cocktail
2 oz Barr Hill Gin
0.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
0.75 oz Raw Honey Syrup* (2:1)
Combine ingredients in a mixing tin. Add ice, shake, then double strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
*Raw Honey Syrup
Mix 2 parts raw honey and 1 part warm water until the honey dilutes. Using warm water rather than hot protects the raw honey’s subtle botanical notes. Raw honey can be purchased at www.barrhill.com. You can purchase fun bee-themed barware, t-shirts, hoodies and hats on the Barr Hill website too.
Are you ready to find out what the buzz is all about? Will you be celebrating Bee’s Knees Week with a Bee’s Knees Cocktail?