Lavender Bee’s Knees Cocktail

story and cocktail recipe by Shelby Hinte

We’ve all experienced the feeling at least once — the workload gets heavier. The weather gets cooler. The days get shorter. Suddenly, we feel the weight of the end of summer blues start to kick in. Just a couple days into fall and already some of you are reminiscing about hot dogs and sunshine and that perfectly crafted margarita you sipped while sitting by the pool. It seems things will only get worse. The sweater box will be dusted off. There are advertisements for pumpkin spice everything. Someone in the office hums jingle bells. You mourn your bathing suit as it is sucked into the vortex of your closet.

Before you give into early-onset end-of-summer blues, take a minute to try this take on a classic cure-all. The Lavender “Bee’s Knees,” will help make the transition into fall less daunting for those of you who are already counting the days until next summer begins. This take on the classic Bee’s Knees is a refreshing combination of fresh lemon juice and lavender honey syrup (recipe below). A perfect balance of bright and herbal, the fresh juice will have you feeling like summer never ended while the floral lavender will ease you into fall. For an added cure-all bonus, use local honey to help fend off seasonal allergies.

Lavender Bee’s Knees

Shelby Hinte

• 1 1/2 ounces gin (The more floral the gin the better)
• 3/4 ounces lavender honey syrup
• 3/4 ounces fresh lemon juice

Shake, strain, and serve over crushed ice with a sprig of fresh lavender for garnish.

Lavender Honey Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup honey
• 1 ounce dried lavender

Bring water and honey to a boil. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in dried lavender. Remove from heat. Let sit until cool. Strain liquid and refrigerate.