birds & bees

1 1/2 oz Gin (Bombay Dry)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Lacuesta Rojo)
1/2 oz Honey Syrup 1:1
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Fernet Branca

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.Two Thursdays ago, I wondered what two gin classics would be mashed up -- the Hanky Panky and the Bee's Knees. Both recipes are often traced back to the 1920s, although the first publication of the Bee's Knees was in 1948 via David Embury. For a name, I originally was going to call this None of Your Business as a nod to Sasha Petraske's The Business (a Bee's Knees with lime instead of lemon juice), but Birds & Bees won out given the connotations of Hanky Panky. In the glass, the Birds & Bees showcased a floral, lemon, and menthol aroma. Next, lemon, grape, and honey notes on the sip buzzed into gin, honey, and minty-menthol flavors on the swallow.