Signature Cocktail: Southern Bees Knees
Each month, LOCAL Life is featuring a must-try signature cocktail from a local establishment. This month, we highlight the Southern Bees Knees, created by bartender Monica Collins for the Whiskey Room. Once you enter this Prohibition-style cocktail bar, you are transported to a simpler time. With a nod to the 1920s era speakeasy, the relaxing space features a tin ceiling and rustic brick walls that help frame a mega display of liquor with 120 hand-selected varieties of whiskeys and bourbons. They also serve up gin, tequila, rum, vodka, small-batch spirits, organic spirits, organic small vineyard wines and craft beer.
For this special cocktail, Collins reaches for a bottle of locally made gin, fresh lemon juice and a house-infused honey made with ginger and fresh thyme.
“When I began this venture of Whiskey Room, I wanted to make sure that we stuck to the basics of prohibition cocktails, and the Bees Knees was one of the staples during Prohibition time,” Collins said. “I absolutely love ginger and thyme and thought it would be amazing to infuse into honey, making it something different and more sustainable to mix with a cocktail. It turned out delicious and refreshing! It definitely is one of our best non-bourbon cocktails on the menu. I also wanted to feature one of our local spirits, and being a true gin lover at heart, Bulrush seemed to be the natural choice. The barrel-aged finish adds a little bit smoother ending to the cocktail as well as keeping with the theme of all things Whiskey Room.”
Signature Cocktail: Southern Bees Knees
Establishment: Whiskey Room
Bartender/Mixologist: Monica Collins
Ingredients
Locally made Bulrush Gin
House-infused honey with ginger and fresh thyme
Fresh lemon juice
Method
Shaken, served up in a coupe glass with a sprig of thyme.