Wild Folk Bee’s Knees
Reviewed on June 29, 2023
Wild Folk Bees Knees is a non-alcoholic ready to drink (RTD) cocktail made in Calgary. Choosing a non-alcoholic drink is trendy right now, especially with the Gen Z generation. (People 25 years old and younger.) They are drinking significantly less than previous generations.
Wild Folk is the creation of local entrepreneur and former restauranteur Dalia Kohen. I first met Dalia when she co-owned the popular The Coup restaurant on 17 Avenue SW. When Kohen owned The Coup, she had a community garden. Some of the plants like rhubarb, rosehip, coriander and chamomile would take over. Kohen didn’t want them to go to waste so she started making tinctures and using them at the bar. She didn’t realize it at the time, but that was the beginning of her next business.
Kohen has an excellent palate. Likely a result of working as a chef for so many years. She has a knack of understanding both flavour and texture in a beverage. Wild Folk has three core cocktails. All of the drinks are based on existing alcoholic cocktails. Going from lightest to heaviest, there is the Vermouth Spritz based on a vermouth and soda, the Bees Knees based on a prohibition era cocktail and the Sparkling Negroni based on the classic Italian cocktail. I picked the Bees Knees because it is the least bitter of the three and it is also the lowest in calories at 40 per can.
(Tasting Note below)
Tasting Note - Wild Folk Bees Knees Cocktail
It is a gorgeous bright gold, thanks to the tumeric in the blend. On the palate, it has lively flavours of citrus, floral, honey with a hit of spice. Feel free to add soda water if you want to lighten it up or have it go a little farther. Or for an alcoholic version, add a little bourbon or gin!