The Gold Rush is a modern American cocktail born out of the early 2000s craft cocktail revival, often credited to Milk & Honey in New York, and it’s essentially a honeyed whiskey sour. What defines an excellent Gold Rush is bright, freshly squeezed lemon to balance the honey and a robust bourbon that adds warmth without masking the citrus; a small-batch Buffalo or Kentucky bourbon brings nice character. This recipe uses a 1:1 honey syrup so the honey incorporates easily during shaking; make the syrup ahead and adjust sweetness to taste for a perfectly balanced sip.
Ingredients
| 2 oz | bourbon |
| ¾ oz | fresh lemon juice |
| ¾ oz | honey syrup (1:1 honey to water) |
| 1 tsp | lemon twist (garnish) |
Instructions
- Add bourbon, fresh lemon juice, and honey syrup to a cocktail shaker.
- Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously until well chilled, about 12-15 seconds.
- Double-strain or fine strain into a rocks glass over a large fresh ice cube.
- Express a lemon twist over the surface to release oils, rub the rim with the peel, and drop it in as garnish.
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