THANK YOU FOR A GREAT BEE'S KNEES WEEK!

A great drink. A greater purpose.

Every June, bars, restaurants, spirit shops and cocktail enthusiasts across the country come together for one week, one cocktail, and one genuinely good cause. 

Bee's Knees Week is Barr Hill's annual celebration of the Bee's Knees cocktail — and a commitment to the pollinators that make it possible. 

Since 2017, participants have helped fund over one million square feet of pollinator habitat nationwide. This year, we're building on that. 

Join us June 12–21 for Bee’s Knees Week 2026!

SHOP BARR HILL GIN

how it works

  • THREE STEPS. REAL IMPACT.

  • 1. Pour it. Feature or serve a Bee's Knees made with Barr Hill Gin — at your bar, your restaurant, your shop, or your home.

    2. Post it. Share your cocktail on social media and tag @barrhillgin.

    3. We plant it. For every tagged post, Barr Hill funds one square foot of new pollinator habitat — tracked, verified, and reported back to every account that participates.

    That's it. No complicated sign-up or grand commitment. Just a great drink tied to something that matters.

    Participating Venues

    from paris, with gin

    The Bee's Knees first appeared in print in 1936, in a cocktail book called The Artistry of Mixing Drinks — written by Frank Meier, an Austrian-born bartender working at Bar Hemingway inside the Ritz-Carlton in Nazi-occupied Paris. Meier was under Gestapo surveillance. They knew he had Jewish roots and suspected he was passing messages to the German Resistance — which he was. What they didn't know was that he was also forging identity documents for people trying to flee occupied France.

    In between all of that, he found time to write down the Bee's Knees.

    The drink survived the war, outlasted every cocktail trend that followed, and is now having its finest hour. The International Bartenders Association named it an official New Era Drink in 2020. Industry forecasters place it alongside the Espresso Martini as one of the defining cocktails of 2026. Three ingredients — gin, lemon, honey — and nearly a century of proof.

    For Barr Hill, it was never just a cocktail. Raw northeastern honey isn't an ingredient we add to Barr Hill Gin — it's a fermentable that shapes the spirit from within. Every bottle exists because pollinators exist. The Bee's Knees is the drink this gin was made for.

    Barr Hill Bee's Knees Cocktail featuring Barr Hill Gin and Raw Honey

    Bee’s Knees Cocktail

    The Bee’s Knees Cocktail is a refreshing blend of award-winning Barr Hill Gin, raw honey syrup, and fresh lemon juice. Join bars and restaurants nationwide in serving Barr Hill Bee’s Knees cocktails, or craft your own at home!

    Ingredients:

    2 oz Barr Hill Gin
    .75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
    .75 oz Raw Honey Syrup (2 parts honey to 1 part hot water. Let cool.)
    Lemon Twist Garnish

    Preparation:
    Combine ingredients in a shaker, add ice, shake, then double strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add garnish.

    Download Recipe Book Shop Now

    Bee's Knees Week Shop

    • Barr Hill Gin

      Barr Hill Gin
      Regular price
      From $23.99
      Unit price
       per 
    • Raw Honey - 1 Pound Jar

      Raw Honey - 1 Pound Jar
      Regular price
      $18.99
      Unit price
       per 
    • Bee's Knees Kit

      Bee's Knees Kit
      Regular price
      $53.98
      Unit price
       per 
    • Barr Hill Bandana

      Barr Hill Bandana
      Regular price
      $10.00
      Unit price
       per 
    Barr Hill Bee's Knees Week June 13-22, 2025

    Why are bees so important?

    Nearly 90% of flowering plants and 30% of our food crops rely on animal pollinators. Bees, particularly honeybees, are the unsung heroes behind more than 90 different food crops in the United States, contributing over $20 billion annually.