Martin Miller’s Gin (the world’s most awarded gin brand) has created a range of ‘Bee’s Knees’ cocktails in collaboration with leading London venues, for World Bee Week from 16-23 May 2022.
Honeyed drinks and dishes
The week-long national celebration supports the UN’s World Bee Day 2022. And, alongside Bermondsey Street Bees, Martin Miller’s Gin is raising awareness within the capital of the importance of bee pollinators, particularly in urban areas. Venues participating include the Duchess of Dalston, Callooh Callay Chelsea, Islington’s Little Bat, GOLD in Notting Hill and Chelsea’s Wild Tavern.
Each will be serving the Bee’s Knees Cocktail, prepared using Martin Miller’s SUMMERFUL Gin. In addition to the bars, three premium restaurants in London, Edinburgh and Manchester will be participating, with an exclusive enhanced customer experience and special local honey menu across three dates in May (26 Grains in London on May 3rd, The Midland Hotel in Manchester and The Huxley in Scotland’s capital on May 9th).
Dishes will highlight the importance of nurturing our native bee population by using local, sustainable honey. The London venue will partner with Bermondsey Street Bees, Manchester with Manchester & District Beekeeper’s Association (MDBKA) and The Huxley with Edinburgh Honey Co.
Pollinating London Together
An information leaflet containing information on key bee conservation charities to donate to, – including British Beekeepers Society and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust – and complimentary thyme seeds will also be provided, to encourage customers to plant at home, helping bees to thrive within the urban environment. Several of the City of London’s Livery Companies have been brought together by The Wax Chandlers to form Pollinating London Together. In this, experts share knowledge on pollination, with an interactive exhibition.
Florencia Orlando, Brand Manager, Martin Miller’s Gin comments: “We had an incredible response to this campaign last year and we’re thrilled to be taking this initiative around the country, for longer! The humble botanical – thyme – is the magic ingredient for both our SUMMERFUL gin and in the mission to save our bees. We’re delighted to reignite our partnership with Bermondsey Street Bees who front the campaign from London. They could not be more aligned with Martin Miller’s Gin in both its quest for high quality and perfection but also their sustainability values. Incorporating Bermondsey Street Bees honey within our SUMMERFUL cocktail is a harmonious match and we are looking forward to everyone sampling the serve this May.”
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A classic, refreshing summer cocktail
The Bee’s Knees is a blend of gin, honey and lemon, with SUMMERFUL including notes of rosemary, thyme and artisanal raw honey from Bermondsey Street Bees. A crisp, complex serve, it offers a herbaceous and citrus finish, with leading cherry notes accentuated by the honey.
Sarah Wyndham-Lewis, Co-Founder, Bermondsey Street Bees comments: “It has never been more important to support the urban honeybees and their wild bee cousins, and we are delighted to be partnering with Martin Millers’ Gin and their “World Bee Week” offering to do so. We hope through this partnership Londoners will learn more about these pollinators and indeed will be encouraged to plant bee-friendly seeds. Simply to survive, a single honey bee hive requires around 50kg of pollen and 250 kg of nectar every year, and this is prior to any surplus honey becoming available for humans to harvest. They also need to share this City’s forage resources with the bumblebees, the solitary bee species and other vital pollinators….so the more green-fingered Londoners, the better!”
It’s a timely and necessary reminder that we must take action to protect the 25,000 species of bees — only seven are honey bee species, the most efficient and successful pollinators, key to the subsistence of the planet’s ecosystems.
How to make a Bee’s Knees
Ingredients
- 50ml Martin Miller’s SUMMERFUL Gin
- 25ml fresh lemon juice
- 20ml Bermondsey Street Bees Exmoor Honey
Method
- Add the gin, lemon juice and honey to a shaker with some ice (if you don’t have a shaker, a jam (or honey!) jar will do)
- Shake until chilled
- Strain into a cocktail glass
For further information, please visit www.martinmillersgin.com.
