Three hives were the starting point of the Market Harborough Honey Company, and the Three Bees name, launched in 2023, goes one step further: each hive holds three kinds of honey bee, the queen, the female workers and the male drones. The honey in this gin comes from the company's own hives around Market Harborough, in Leicestershire.

The spirit is copper pot distilled on a wheat base, then infused with that honey in small batches, and bottled at 38% ABV. Eleven botanicals are used: juniper, coriander, angelica, orange, lemon, orris root, liquorice, cassia, Szechuan pepper, pink pepper and allspice. The three peppery spices give the recipe its particular warmth, each in its own register, from the tingling Szechuan pepper to the fragrant pink berry and the rounder allspice. Orris root and angelica are classic fixatives in gin, binding the lighter aromas together.

The honey shows first in the aroma, where it brings the scent of summer flowers alongside juniper and citrus. The palate is soft, with citrus and honey leading, and the finish leaves a smooth, lasting and slightly sweet honey warmth after the juniper and spices. Angelica, orris and liquorice give that finish a firmer base, so the honey rounds the gin without making it syrupy.

The gin took Bronze at both the London Spirits Competition and the IWSC in 2024. The Gin Guide suggests a gin and tonic garnished with lemon or orange, or a Bee's Knees, the classic cocktail of gin, lemon and honey. A light tonic keeps the texture delicate; a ribbon of lemon zest sharpens the citrus and a thin orange slice brings out the warmer side of the spice. The company behind the gin is B Corp certified, and in June 2026 the Three Bees range moved to a new bee-shaped bottle.