Martin Miller’s Gin: World Bee Week

This May, Martin Miller’s Gin, the world’s most awarded gin brand, proudly partners with leading UK-wide venues and local beekeepers, in a week-long national celebration supporting the  UN’s World Bee Day 2022.  

Martin Miller’s Gin is partnering with Bermondsey Street Bees, Manchester & District Beekeeper’s  Association (MDBKA) and Edinburgh Honey Co. with the mission to raise awareness across the country  of the importance of bee pollinators, particularly in the urban environment.

Key venues including Duchess  of Dalston, Callooh Callay Chelsea and Gold in London, Atlas Bar, Pen & Pencil in Manchester and Pear  Tree, The Raging Bull and OohMami, Edinburgh will partake in this extended initiative – World Bee Week,  16-23 May 2022.  

The week-long celebration by Martin Miller’s Gin will see each partner venue list the Bee’s Knees Cocktail,  made with Martin Miller’s SUMMERFUL Gin. Every serve will be accompanied with an information leaflet  and complimentary thyme seeds for customers to plant at home and encourage their own thriving bee  community. Known to attract all variety of bees, the thyme seeds also provide a much-needed reminder  of the importance of planting, and the role that this plays in allowing bees to thrive within an urban  environment. 

The Bee’s Knees  

The Bee’s Knees is a classic, refreshing summer cocktail, composed of gin, honey and lemon. A gin cocktail  with a twist, the Bee’s Knees is made with Martin Miller’s SUMMERFUL Gin – a fresh variant from the  brand which includes notes of rosemary and thyme, perfectly paired with artisanal raw honey from  Bermondsey Street Bees. The result is a crisp, complex serve offering a herbaceous and citrus finish,  underpinned with cherry-forward notes further heightened by the honey. 

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 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.” 

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 honeybee 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!” 

World Bee Day  

This year, The United Nations has selected 20 May 2022 as World Bee Day. Created to draw attention  to the importance of pollinators and sustainable means to support their development, while combatting  the threats the face, World Bee Day aims to educate the public on the importance of bees and the key  role pollinators play in both food supply and biodiversity.  

World Bee Week  

The extended week-long celebration by Martin Miller’s Gin spotlights the importance bees play within our  everyday lives, and how vital it is to take action to protecting this species.

Of the 25,000 species of bees on Earth, only seven are honeybee species, which are the most efficient and successful pollinators, key to  the subsistence of the planet’s ecosystems.

In addition to receiving a packet of thyme seeds with each  Bee’s Knees serve, guests will also be provided with information on key bee conservation charities to  donate to, including British Beekeepers Society and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.  

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