By now, we should all know how important bees are to the future of our planet and our species.
Albert Einstein once famously quipped that “if the bee disappears from the surface of the Earth, man would have no more than four years left to live.”
That may seem dramatic, but pollinators such as bees are responsible for one in every three bites of food that you chomp. Bees pollinate 90 different food crops and a whopping 90 percent of all flowering plants, and they’re also endangered, so saving the bees is a truly worthy pursuit.
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The good news? You can help save the bees by simply saying cheers with a delicious cocktail, thanks to the thoughtful folks over at Barr Hill gin.
This Friday to Sunday, Sept. 23 to Oct. 2, marks Barr Hill’s Bee’s Knees Week; an annual tradition when good caring bee-lovers like you can hit the bars and order a classic Bee’s Knees cocktail, snap a pic, post it with the hashtag #beeskneesweek and tag @barrhillgin, and sip knowing you’ve made a small difference.
For every image posted to the internet with the #beeskneesweek hashtag, Barr Hill will plant 10 square feet of pollinator habitat to protect and support our incredibly important bee friends.
Why? Well, for one, it’s just the nice thing to do, but Barr Hill is made with wild honey harvested from Vermant, so the American gin company has a vested interest in bees continuing to thrive and do their thing.
Bee’s Knees Week has become the largest sustainability initiative in the spirits industry, according to Barr Hill, and there are hundreds of participating venues across the country, from California to New York, Chicago to Miami.
While we highly suggest you support a bar in your city that supports the cause, you don’t have to go out to save the bees. If you want to stay in and make your own Bee’s Knees cocktail, Barr Hill shared the recipe with us below. Just make sure you snap that pic and share with #beeskneesweek!
“The phrase ‘bee’s knees’ was prohibition-era slang for ‘the best,’” Barr Hill says in a statement. “This classic cocktail born from the prohibition era combines gin, lemon and honey. The Bee’s Knees cocktail is especially important to the Barr Hill family. Each year, we celebrate Bee’s Knees Week, a spotlight on the importance of bees in our food and drink system, and a community of bartenders working together to save the bees.”
Ingredients:
Directions: Combine all the ingredients in a mixing tin, add ice, shake, then double strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add a garnish of lemon twist, and enjoy!
Find out where you can support Bee’s Knees Week and say cheers to save the bees in your city at one of these participating venues, and learn more about the initiative at caledoniaspirits.com.
Photography by: Joey Jones
