Nationwide cocktail fundraiser has raised over $63,000 for bee protection since 2017
Caledonia Spirits, the Vermont-based distiller that uses raw northern honey to make its flagship spirits Barr Hill Gin, Tom Cat Gin, and Barr Hill Vodka, announced that its popular “Bee’s Knees Week” initiative will have a new look in 2020. Held every September, Bee’s Knees Week has traditionally raised money for organizations that work to protect bees, but this year the format will be built around planting bee habitat to ensure that pollinators are able to continue playing their crucial role in our environment.
Last year, over 1,000 restaurants and bars across the country participated in Bee’s Knees Week, donating $1 from every Barr Hill Bee’s Knees cocktail sold to the cause. This year, for every photo of a Barr Hill Bee’s Knees cocktail that gets posted on social media from Sept. 18-27, Caledonia Spirits will plant 10 square feet of bee habitat. Restaurants and bars will still participate by adding Barr Hill Bee’s Knees cocktails to their respective menus, but this year’s program will, for the first time, allow for individual participation from home.
“Like everyone else, we have had to adapt during these unprecedented times, but with change comes opportunity – and we’re very excited about our plans for Bee’s Knees Week this year,” said Caledonia Spirits president and head distiller Ryan Christiansen. “Being able to participate from home is going to get so many more people involved in the cause, and that’s what Bee’s Knees Week is all about. Bees are so essential to our environment yet they face an incredible amount of challenges – whether it’s colony collapse, pesticides, or habitat loss due to overdevelopment. That’s why this year’s initiative will be geared towards planting new bee habitat to help offset some of those losses.”
Participating in the 2020 iteration of Bee’s Knees Week will be simple: 1) Order a Barr Hill Bee’s Knees cocktail or make one at home; 2) Share a photo of the cocktail on social media, using #beeskneesweek2020, tagging @barrhillgin, and tagging the bar, restaurant, or store where you purchased Barr Hill Gin.
For every published photo that fulfills those requirements, Caledonia Spirits will plant 10 square feet of bee habitat. For participating bars, restaurants, or individuals whose cocktail photos account for a square footage that equals or exceeds their location’s footprint, the distillery will be giving out a special gift. Bars and restaurants can officially register to participate at caledoniaspirits.com/beesknees-sign-up.
