Spice, orange, caramel, woods
Pair with crudité, nuts, and cheese on Derby Day or around the holidays. It also has a special affinity for pumpernickel bread.
Originally created in 1917 for the pleasures of high rollers like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Al Capone, who visited the Seelbach Hotel, this Kentucky-born cocktail combines American whiskey with French elegance to achieve a truly remarkable détente. Resurrected in 1995 by Adam Seger, then restaurant manager of the Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, this cocktail is a tall, glamorous sipper served in a champagne flute. Seasoned with two kinds of bitters, it’s both uplifting and a little spicy, with hints of star anise and clove.
1 ounce (30 ml) bourbon (Woodford Reserve or the Louisville local favorite, Old Forester)
½ ounce (15 ml) Cointreau
5 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters
3 dashes of Angostura bitters
1 to 2 ounces (30 to 60 ml) Champagne (or crémant)
Orange twist, for garnish
Stir the bourbon, Cointreau, and bitters with ice. Strain into a champagne flute. Top off with Champagne, and garnish with an orange twist on the side of the glass.