Queen Bee

Abigail Gullo, Ben Paris | Seattle, WA

photo: Eric Medsker

The Queen Bee, an apple brandy sour augmented with honey and Curaçao, appears in Charles H. Baker’s two-volume travelogue from 1951, The South American Gentleman’s Companion. Abigail Gullo of Seattle’s Ben Paris opts for unaged apple brandy for its aromatic, gin-like qualities, and swaps Curaçao for lemon verbena liqueur to balance the cocktail without over-sweetening it.

Ingredients

Serving: 1

  • 2 ounces unaged apple brandy
  • 2 ounces unaged apple brandy
  • 3/4 ounce lemon juice
  • 3/4 ounce lemon juice
  • 1/2 ounce honey syrup
  • 1/2 ounce honey syrup
  • 1/2 ounce lemon verbena liqueur, preferably Sidetrack Distillery
  • 1/2 ounce lemon verbena liqueur, preferably Sidetrack Distillery

Garnish: curled orange peel, edible pansy

Directions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin and shake with ice.
  2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
  3. Garnish with curled orange peel and edible pansy.

Tagged: apple brandy, the d list

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