TRADITIONAL SOUTHERN-STYLE MINT JULEP
. Essential recipes for every bartender .
SOUTHERN COMFORT, WITH ITS PEACH FLAVOR, has an enticing way of adding fruity notes to a cocktail, and with the flavors of almond, sloeberry, and orange, the resulting drink becomes absolutely delectable.
Shake the ingredients vigorously with ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass or into a shot glass without ice. |
1 ounce Southern Comfort 1 ounce amaretto ½ ounce sloe gin 1 ounce fresh orange juice |
YES, THIS IS THE CLASSIC WHISKEY SHOT WITH A BEER CHASER, and if you must draw attention to yourself, the ritual of dropping the shot glass into the mug of beer is quite effective.
Pour the whiskey into a shot glass. Quickly gulp down the shot. Serve the beer in a chilled beer mug as a chaser. |
1½ ounces blended whiskey 8 to 12 ounces beer |
THE NAME MAY HAVE A SWASHBUCKLING LINEAGE, in honor of the legendary seventeenth-century Scottish brigand Robert MacGregor (hero of Sir Walter Scott’s novel from the 1800s), but it’s probably just a thinly veiled excuse to use scotch instead of rye or bourbon in a Manhattan.
2½ ounces blended scotch ½ ounce sweet vermouth Dash of Angostura bitters Maraschino cherry |
Stir the liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass. Garnish with the cherry. |
. Variations . For a DRY ROB ROY, substitute dry vermouth for the sweet vermouth, and garnish with a lemon peel twist.
For a PERFECT ROB ROY, use ¼ounce dry vermouth and ¼ ounce sweet vermouth, and garnish with a lemon peel twist.
For a CHANCELLOR, replace the sweet vermouth with dry, and add 1 ounce of ruby port.
A VARIATION ON THE GIN-BASED TOM COLLINS, the John Collins is made with either bourbon or Canadian blended whisky. To confuse matters, sometimes the Canadian whisky version is called a Captain Collins, while the bourbon-based drink is also known as a Colonel Collins and even a Bourbon Collins.
Shake the bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup vigorously with ice. Strain into an ice-filled collins glass. Top with club soda, and stir gently. Garnish with the lemon, orange, and cherry. |
2 ounces bourbon or blended Canadian whisky 1 ounce fresh lemon juice ½ ounce simple syrup or 1 teaspoon superfine sugar 5 to 6 ounces club soda Lemon and orange slices Maraschino cherry |
. Basic Simple Syrup . Also known as SUGAR SYRUP, this is an essential ingredient in many drinks, as it requires no dissolving or excessive stirring to incorporate, unlike granulated sugar. Makes 2 cups.
1 cup water |
2 cups sugar |
In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add the sugar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cool completely before using or refrigerating. Pour into a clean glass jar, cap tightly, and store (indefinitely) in the refrigerator until needed.
THIS CLASSIC AMERICAN APERITIF beautifully combines whiskey, vermouth, and bitters, which come together for optimum smoothness. The type of whiskey used is a crucial element. A classic Manhattan traditionally must be made with rye. However, the harsher bite of rye has fallen out of favor, and many Americans prefer the sweetness of bourbon. Blended Canadian whisky comes close to rye, yet makes a mellower Manhattan. Whichever way you swing, a premium whiskey will always give the best results. The drink is classically served up in a cocktail glass, but many prefer it over ice in an old-fashioned glass, which gives it a bit of dilution and chill. Variations include using 1 ounce of sweet vermouth for a Sweet Manhattan or for a Dry Manhattan using ¾ ounce dry vermouth in place of the sweet (which is somewhat oxymoronic, as the quintessential Manhattan is by definition a sweet vermouth–based drink). Both variations call for a lemon peel twist.
Stir the liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the cherry. |
2 ounces rye, bourbon, or blended Canadian whisky ¾ ounce sweet vermouth 2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters Maraschino cherry |
PERFECT IN COCKTAIL TERMS always connotes half sweet and half dry vermouth.
2½ ounces rye, bourbon, or blended Canadian whisky ½ ounce dry vermouth ½ ounce sweet vermouth 2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters Lemon peel twist |
Stir the liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Run the lemon peel around the rim, twist it over the drink, and drop it in. |
A SLING, BY ITS VERY NATURE, IS A CITRUS-BASED BUBBLY AFFAIR, and this one is no exception. Although slings are typically sweetened with a fruit brandy, the Bourbon Sling takes a decidedly Southern approach, using Southern Comfort instead, and a lemon wedge fills in for the traditional lime peel twist.
Shake the liquid ingredients except the club soda vigorously with ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with club soda and stir gently. Squeeze the lemon wedge over the drink, and drop it in. |
21½ ounces bourbon ½ ounce Southern Comfort ½ ounce fresh lemon juice 5 to 6 ounces chilled club soda Lemon wedge |
SYNONYMOUS WITH THE KENTUCKY DERBY, which is held on the first Saturday in May, this Southern drink has been around since the late 1800s. Essential to a sublime julep is a fine Kentucky bourbon of the premium single-batch variety. The classic silver julep cup achieves its dramatic signature frost from condensation as the bourbon and crushed ice are stirred—but it’s perfectly acceptable to serve a Mint Julep in a collins, highball, or old-fashioned glass.
Originally, the mint sprig was simply an aromatic flourish at the edge of the drink, extended above the rim to allow one to inhale its aroma while sipping the bourbon. However, some insist on muddling the mint first to infuse the bourbon with its fragrant intensity, so I’ve included the muddled version as well (see page 34).
4 ounces Kentucky bourbon ½ ounce simple syrup (page 27) or 1 teaspoon superfine sugar 4 to 6 fresh mint sprigs |
Pour the liquid ingredients into a julep cup or collins glass filled with crushed ice. Stir well until the glass is frosty. Garnish with the mint sprigs, extending them above the rim, and serve with a straw. |
THE TREATMENT OF THE MINT is still a hotly debated subject among southerners, so to keep things copacetic, here is the mint-lover’s version. An additional splash of club soda or water makes a refreshingly tall highball.
12 to 14 fresh mint leaves ½ ounce simple syrup (page 27) or 1 teaspoon superfine sugar 4 ounces Kentucky bourbon 2 to 3 fresh mint sprigs Lemon peel twist (optional) |
Muddle the mint leaves and simple syrup in the bottom of a chilled julep cup or old-fashioned glass. Fill the glass with crushed ice, add the bourbon, and stir until the glass is frosty. Garnish with more mint sprigs, extending them above the rim, and add a twist of lemon peel, if desired. |
FANTASTICALLY POPULAR WITH THE 1960S SWINGING SET, this drink has stood the test of time. If it’s too sweet for your taste, make a drier version by using only ¼ ounce of Drambuie, and if you want a few citrus and herbal notes, add ½ ounce Lillet Blanc. For a Prince Edward, simply garnish with an orange slice.
Pour the liquid ingredients into an ice-filled highball glass. Stir well. Twist the lemon peel over the drink, and drop it in. |
1½ ounces scotch 1 ounce Drambuie Lemon peel twist |
AS WITH MOST COCKTAILS THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOREVER, the original components of this classic American drink have been tweaked and embellished. Concocted at the Pendennis Club of Louisville, Kentucky, in the late 1800s, the type of whiskey used has gone through many transmutations. Kentucky bourbon is a popular choice, but some prefer rye, and smooth blended whiskey has its fans as well. The drink even inspired a sturdy, heavy-bottomed glass of the same name, which was specifically designed to accommodate the muddling of those supplemental fruits with the sugar and bitters. The resulting juices produce the familiar Old-Fashioned flavor many revere.
1 sugar cube or 1 teaspoon sugar 3 dashes Angostura bitters 1 strip lemon zest 1 orange slice 1 maraschino cherry 2½ ounces bourbon or blended whiskey 2 to 3 ounces chilled club soda (optional) Orange slice Maraschino cherry |
In the bottom of a chilled old-fashioned glass, saturate the sugar cube with the bitters. Add lemon zest, orange slice, and cherry. Muddle together the sugar, bitters, and fruit. Fill the glass with ice, add the whiskey, and stir well. Top with club soda, if desired. Garnish with the orange slice and cherry. |
. Variations . For an ECCENTRIC OLD-FASHIONED, place 1 complete lemon peel spiral in the glass. Shake 2 ounces blended whiskey, a dash of curaçao, and ½ teaspoon sugar, and strain into the glass.
For a SCOTCH OLD-FASHIONED, substitute blended scotch for the bourbon.
For the fruitier CLAREMONT, muddle 2 maraschino cherries and 2 orange slices, and add ¾ ounce orange curaçao.
THIS NEW ORLEANS CLASSIC was the first drink to be specifically called a “cocktail.” In the 1830s, a French pharmacist named Peychaud—yes, the bitters guy—began serving up this soothing elixir made with the French Cognac Sazerac de Forge et Fils and his eponymous bitters for, um, digestive unrest. Later versions opted for cheaper American rye instead of Cognac, and anise-flavored absinthe was introduced into the alchemy and later replaced with Pernod once absinthe became illegal. These days, a great bourbon or rye is often preferred, and in New Orleans, the locals favor Herbsaint over Pernod.
The glass for a Sazerac must be thoroughly chilled, and although purists will tell you not to drop the lemon peel twist in the drink, a subtle spritz of lemon oil is quite pleasant. For a New Orleans Sazerac (also called a New Orleans Cocktail), add ½ ounce fresh lemon juice and Herbsaint. Later recipes have added a sugar cube and water to the original.
Coat the inside of a chilled old-fashioned glass with the Pernod, discarding the excess. Shake the bourbon and bitters with ice. Strain into the prepared glass. Twist the lemon peel over the drink, and drop it in. |
1 teaspoon Pernod or Herbsaint 2 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey 3 to 4 dashes Peychaud’s bitters Lemon peel twist |
HARVEY HAS MOVED FROM THE WEST COAST, affected a Southern drawl, and joined the good ol’ boys club with this bourbon-lemon-mint variation on the vodka-based Wallbanger, complete with a splash of licorice-flavored Galliano to add a Continental note.
1½ ounces bourbon ½ ounce Galliano 1 ounce fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon sugar Fresh mint sprig |
Shake the liquid ingredients and sugar vigorously with ice. Strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass. Garnish with the mint sprig. |
THE WHISKEY RICKEY IS SIMILAR TO A COLLINS OR FIZZ, but its defining characteristic is the refreshingly tart omission of sugar. This combo is so versatile that the type of whiskey used is entirely up to you.
Shake the whiskey and lime juice vigorously with ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with club soda, and stir gently. Squeeze the lime wedge over the drink, and drop it in. |
2 ounces bourbon, blended scotch, Irish, or blended whiskey ½ ounce fresh lime juice 3 to 5 ounces chilled club soda Lime wedge |
THE KING OF ALL SOURS, this refreshing drink was perfectly described in Esquire’s 1945 Handbook for Hosts: “This is simply a species of fortified lemonade in concentrated form.” Key to a sublime Whiskey Sour is freshly squeezed lemon juice. Although many prefer the drink with bourbon, a blended whiskey or other favorite whiskey is perfectly acceptable. Always shaken and traditionally served in a sour glass, it can also be served up or in a highball glass with ice.
2 ounces bourbon or blended whiskey ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice ½ ounce simple syrup (page 27) or 1 teaspoon superfine sugar Lemon or orange slice Maraschino cherry |
Shake the liquid ingredients vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled sour glass. Garnish with the lemon slice and cherry. |
. Variations . For a FRISCO SOUR, add ¼ ounce Bénédictine and ½ ounce fresh lime juice.
For a NEW YORK SOUR, float ½ ounce dry red wine on top of a Whiskey Sour. Garnish with a lemon slice.
