In its May-June 2014 issue, Imbibe magazine did a feature on New Classic Cocktails.
One of the prerequists for inclusion was this: “Simplicity. We love the creativity of many of today’s bartenders, but there are no guarantees that future generations will be as enamored with labor-intensive preparations or complicated DIY ingredients. When in doubt, simple wins out.”
Perhaps that’s why I was so taken with all the recipes in the article, and plan to feature them here over the coming weeks. But for this meal, I went seasonal: strawberries. It was a lovely way to wind down the weekend.
Kentucky Buck
From Imbibe magazine. A seemingly minor flourish can sometimes make all the difference. That’s the case with this twist on a classic Whiskey Buck, designed as a seasonal cocktail at San Francisco’s Bourbon & Branch by then-manager Erick Castro, now an owner of Polite Provisions in San Diego.
2 ounces bourbon
3/4 ounces fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounces simple syrup (1:1)
1 medium strawberry
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Chilled ginger beer
Tools: muddler, shaker, strainer, fine-mesh strainer
Glass: Collins
Garnish: lemon wheel
Place the strawberry in a shaker and muddle. Add the remaining ingredients (except ginger beer) and fill the shaker with ice. Shake to chill, double-strain into an ice-filled Collins glass, top with ginger beer and garnish.
