Fifth State Distillery based in Bridgeport, Connecticut is known for its award-winning spirits and has been awarded the Connecticut Gin Distillery of the Year by the New York International Spirits Competition for three consecutive years: 2021, 2022, and 2023. To say that Master Distiller Rob Schulten has fun creating new flavor profiles would be an understatement, and his latest creation, Fifth State Bee’s Knees, a ready to pour cocktail, presented in a 375 ml glass bottle is truly delicious. Simply chill and pour and you have a great cocktail for home or bar use.
Product Information: Fifth State Distillery Bee’s Knees handcrafted in small batches, made with Gin, lemon, and honey. 18% by Volume, 36 proof. Gluten free. Sold in 375 ml bottles. $19/bottle.
Bottle Notes: “Sometimes classics shouldn’t be messed with, and that’s absolutely the case when it comes to the Bee’s Knees cocktail. The Bee’s Knees is a classic Prohibition-era cocktail made with gin, lemon, and honey. It’s brightly flavored, lightly sweet, and just delightful. The phrase “bee’s knees” was popular slang used to call something excellent or outstanding.
Tasting Notes: The color is a pale yellow, with aromatic notes of lemon on the nose. On the palate, this is a delectable and potent lemonade. This “Chill and Pour” cocktail is ready to drink, however it also makes a versatile base to add your own touches to make easy custom cocktails.
Luxury Experience was “In the kitchen and behind the bar®” creating incredibly special handcrafted cocktails and a dessert recipe to tempt your palate and inspire your own creations using Fifth State Bee’s Knees.
Luxury Experience Cocktail and Culinary Menu
The Cocktail Recipes
Luxury Experience – Bee’s Knees
Dress up your Bee’s Knees cocktail by adding a sugar rim and garnish with a fresh lemon wheel, wedge, or peel. To create a sugar rim, simply rim the glass by running a fresh cut lemon around the outside edge of the glass then dip the rim into a saucer with some sugar. Sugar rims look great, upscale the cocktail, are easy to make, and can be made ahead, making them perfect for bars or for at-home parties.
We created Luxury Experience – Mirror Image cocktail by muddling fresh mango with fresh basil, adding LaBelle Winery Seyval Blanc, fresh lemon juice, and Fifth State Bee’s Knees, for a delicious and easy entertaining cocktail. This super refreshing cocktail also has low alcohol making it perfect for summertime. Make a pitcher and serve at your next party.
Luxury Experience – Mirror Image
Luxury Experience -Mirror Image
Glass Used: Stemmed Glass
Yield: 1 Cocktail
Cocktail Ingredients:
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3.25
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Ounces
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|
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1.50
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Ounces
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|
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0.25
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Ounce
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Fresh Lemon Juice
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2
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Tablespoons
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Fresh Mango, minced
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2
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Leaves
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Basil, chiffonade
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Mango Slice, Basil Sprig, garnish
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Method: Chiffonade basil leaves (roll the leaves widthwise and cut into strips). In a mixing glass, add the fresh mango and muddle, top with LaBelle Seyval Blanc, Fifth State Distillery Bee’s Knees, and lemon juice. Add the basil (chiffonade) and stir to incorporate. Add ice to a stemmed glass and pour cocktail over the ice. Garnish with a slice of fresh mango and a sprig of fresh basil.
Luxury Experience – Strawberry Bee’s Knees is another easy and delicious summer cocktail. Simply combine Fifth State Distillery Bee’s Knees with muddled fresh strawberries in a shaker, add ice, and shake until shaker is frosty. Strain into a chilled Martini or wine glass. Garnish with a fresh strawberry. This cocktail also works well to serve in a pitcher for easy entertaining.
Luxury Experience – Strawberry Bee’s Knees
Luxury Experience – Strawberry Bee’s Knees
Glass Used: Martini or Wine Glass
Cocktail Ingredients:
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3
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Ounces
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|
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3
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Large
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Fresh Strawberries, muddled until smooth
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Fresh Strawberry, garnish
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Method: Add ingredients to a shaker with 3 ice cubes, shake hard to chill, and pour into a chilled Martini or wine glass. Garnish with a fresh strawberry.
The Culinary Recipe
Luxury Experience – Bees in the Strawberry Sorbet is easy to make and easy to love. We made the sorbet with fresh ripe strawberries, sugar, water, Fifth State Bee’s Knees, and Fifth State Gin.
Note: While we used an ice cream compressor to make the sorbet you can easily make this in a food processor.
Luxury Experience – Bees in the Strawberry Sorbet
Luxury Experience – Bees in the Strawberry Sorbet
Sorbet Ingredients:
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10
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Large
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Strawberries, fresh, ripe
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0.75
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Cup
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Sugar
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24
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Ounces
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Cold Water
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2
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Ounces
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|
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4
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Ounces
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Method for the Sorbet: Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until very smooth.
Freezing the sorbet: While we used an ice cream compressor to make the sorbet you can easily make this in a food processor.
If using an ice cream maker, process according to instructions.
If you do not have an ice cream maker, pour the liquid into a plastic container, and place it in the freezer until frozen. Once frozen, remove the container from the freezer, place the contents in a food processor and process to create volume and “fluff up” the sorbet. Place back in plastic container and freeze until ready to use. Serve with fresh strawberries (and blueberries, optional).
Until next time, cheers, it’s cocktail time!
Fifth State Distillery Information
Founded by Rob and Bridget Schulten, the award-winning Fifth State Distillery located in Bridgeport, Connecticut has been turning heads with their delectable gluten-free spirits since they opened in 2016. Made from locally grown Connecticut non-GMO corn and distilled in small batches, their artisanal spirits are continuing to win awards with their innovative spirits profiles. “Made with pride in the great state of Connecticut.”
Purchasing Information: Fifth State Distillery products include:
Gin, Seville Gin, Passion Gin, Madagascar Gin, 5th State Premium Vodka, Ginger Zap Vodka, Simply Celery Vodka, CT Maple Whiskey, Barrel Strength Whiskey, Limoncello, Chocolate XS, Wonderful Water, Espresso Martini, and Bee’s Knees.
For additional information on Fifth State Distillery, tours, as well as purchasing information, please visit their website:www.fifthstatedistillery.com
Fifth State Distillery Hours: Monday – Thursday from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, Friday – closed, Saturday from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Sunday closed.
Read about more of their exceptional spirits in the Liquor Cabinet section: Fifth State Gin, Fifth State Seville Gin, Fifth State Passion Gin and Fifth State Ginger Zap Vodka and Fifth State Espresso Martini.
Fifth State Distillery
259 Asylum Street
Bridgeport, Connecticut 06610
United States
Telephone: +1-203-258-3422
Email: bridget@fifthstatedistillery.com
Website: www.fifthstatedistillery.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fifthstatedistillery
Instagram: @5hstatedistillery
Twitter: @5thStateDistill
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