The bee's knees cocktail has unclear origins. It was possibly invented by
Frank Meier, an Austrian-born, part Jewish bartender who was the first head bartender at the
Ritz in Paris in 1921, when its Cafe Parisian opened its doors. A 1929 news article attributes the cocktail to
Margaret Brown, an American socialite (the "Unsinkable" Molly Brown of
Titanic fame). , honey, and lemon In 2017, Barr Hill Gin started an annual event called Bee's Knees Week to promote their product. Bee's Knees Week is the largest sustainability event in the spirits industry, focused on pollinator protection. A 2023 article published by
The New York Times credited an increase in the cocktail's popularity in part to Bee's Knees Week. ==Variations==