It was the beginning of August 2023 when I started working at End of Days as a barback. I was new, a little nervous, and honestly a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of knowledge and passion everyone around me had. I wasn’t sure that I could ever reach that level. At the time, I was mostly focused on staying out of everyone’s way, but there was something different about this place.
After we closed up and the last guests had gone home, my new coworkers sat together with their “shift drinks” and invited me to join them. Nervously, I decided on the Bees & Barrels.
I was pleasantly surprised by the richness of the cocktail. It was simple, yet so elegant. The smoothness of the Barrel Rested Gin, warm sweetness of the honey-chamomile syrup, and the bright bite of lemon all came together beautifully, finished with a sweet and decadent piece of honeycomb for garnish.
I knew then that I had found something special. Everyone was so welcoming and accommodating, and there was a genuine sense of hospitality that I wasn’t used to. I didn’t feel like I needed to prove myself before I was welcomed in. More than just discovering a cocktail I loved, I had found a place where I felt encouraged and excited to learn. This was the perfect beginning of a new chapter.
The Bees & Barrels became one of my favorite cocktails and inspired some of my future creations. I had no idea that Barrel Rested Gin even existed, but I was very pleased to discover it.
This cocktail is a riff on the classic ‘Bee’s Knees’ which is gin, lemon, and honey. While the exact origin of this cocktail is unknown, it was created sometime within the Prohibition Era. During that time, citrus was often used to help mask the harsh flavors of lower-quality gin. Today, we use citrus for a very different reason. To balance and highlight the character of a spirit.
The addition of the Barrel Rested Gin deepens the existing flavors of the ‘Bee’s Knees’ by adding the warmth and sweetness of the barrel.
As I learned more about the art of cocktail making, I came to discover that most cocktails are simply variations of classic cocktail builds. The Bees & Barrels, for example, is a classic “sour” style cocktail which contains: spirit, sugar, citrus, and sometimes egg white. Putting this puzzle piece together made cocktail creation so much easier and allowed for so much creative experimentation.
When we talk about adding citrus or acidity into a cocktail, it's typically either lemon or lime juice. We use lemon juice in this particular recipe because lemon juice is typically brighter and slightly sweeter compared to lime juice which has a more bitter taste. In this instance, lemon juice helps to brighten up the honey and softens the juniper in the gin.
Speaking of honey, we’re swapping the usual simple syrup for a honey-chamomile syrup. You could use regular simple syrup, of course, but where’s the fun in that? Honey brings a rounder, richer sweetness to the drink, while chamomile adds a soft floral note that works beautifully with the botanicals in the gin.
Then comes the Barrel Rested Gin. This is where things get even more exciting! The time spent in the barrel gives the gin lovely vanilla notes, which happen to go very well with honey. All the ingredients went from being separate entities to becoming a cohesive unit, which is my favorite part about crafting cocktails. Seeing the potential of the ingredients materialize into something special.
And because a good cocktail deserves a finishing touch, we peel a lemon and give it a squeeze to express the oils over the top of the drink, adding another layer of bright citrus aroma. We finish the Bees & Barrels with the expressed lemon peel and a piece of honeycomb.
For the glass, we’re using a Nick & Nora. It’s the perfect glass for a drink like this because of its wide opening, which lets all those aromas reach your nose before the cocktail ever touches your lips. Yes, that matters! A good portion of what we taste is what we smell, so don’t overlook this step! If you don’t have access to a Nick & Nora, any glass will work perfectly fine, just make sure you serve the cocktail “neat,” which means you shake and strain it over no ice, as to not over dilute the finished product!
Add more ice than you think into the shaker with the ingredients. More ice means you can control the dilution and it gets extra cold! Once everything has been shaken thoroughly with ice, we’ll double strain the cocktail into the Nick & Nora. If you’ve never double strained a cocktail before, don’t let the fancy name scare you. We’re simply using a Hawthorne strainer to catch the larger pieces of ice, while a fine-mesh strainer catches those little ice chips and bits of pulp that sneak through. The result is a beautifully smooth and silky drink.
As always, make it your own! Depending on your taste, you can add or take away up to 1/4oz of either the lemon juice or honey-chamomile syrup. Prefer your cocktails a little brighter? Add a touch more lemon, like them a little softer or sweeter? Add more honey-chamomile syrup. There’s no right or wrong way to create cocktails. The best cocktails are the ones that you enjoy drinking.
This recipe is built for one cocktail, but it always tastes better when it’s shared with good company. So I recommend doubling up that recipe and take your time to savor the moment. Oh! And don't forget to save one for me!
