Lemon verbena bees knees

This cocktail dates back to the Prohibition era, when honey and lemon juice were added to mask the flavour of poor-quality gin. This version from Kobi Ruzicka elevates the classic drink with the addition of fragrant lemon verbena, for a citrus flavour twist.

Credit: A Girl's Guide To Hunting Fishing and Wild Cooking

• serves

  1

• prep

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• ¼ cup (60 ml) honey gin (or gin)
• 25 ml lemon juice
• 25 ml honey syrup (see Note)
• Ice, as needed
• Lemon verbena flowers, to serve

Instructions

1. Combine the honey gin, lemon juice and honey syrup in a cocktail shaker and add enough ice cubes to fill. Shake vigorously until well chilled, then quickly strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the lemon verbena flowers and serve immediately.

Note

To make the honey syrup, combine 2 equal parts honey with 1 equal part water. Mix to combine, then use as needed. For a simple variation, swap the lemon for lime juice to make a cocktail known as “the Business”.

Watch how to make this recipe on Episode 6 of A Girl's Guide To Hunting Fishing and Wild Cooking Season 2, streaming free on SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.