Discover a Bourbon Cocktail That's Golden

The Gold Rush glitters bright in the cocktail galaxy. Follow this easy recipe and craft the tasty bourbon cocktail at home in just five minutes.

Gold Rush CocktailPhoto by2foodtrippers

You might think that the Gold Rush cocktail dates back to the mid 19th century when adventurers headed west in search of golden nuggets. You might also think that it was invented in California where those fortune seekers met their destinies. As it turns out, neither is actually the case.

Instead, this modern-day NYC cocktail is a tasty tipple whose treasures are available to all game to give it a try.

What Is a Gold Rush Cocktail?

The Gold Rush cocktail will sound eerily familiar to cocktail connoisseurs who have previously imbibed Whiskey Sour and Bee's Knees cocktails. With ingredients similar to both, it's a modern day mashup of those two pre-prohibition cocktails.

But, crafted with bourbon, fresh lemon juice and honey syrup, the Gold Rush, a simultaneously sweet and sour cocktail, stands on its own merits.

History of the Gold Rush Cocktail

Unlike California's Gold Rush, which was epic in both size and scope, the history of the Gold Rush drink is short, sweet and can't be traced to America's Golden State.

Cocktail historians credit T.J. Siegel for crafting the original Gold Rush cocktail at now-closed Milk & Honey in New York City. And, despite the golden cocktail's classic list of ingredients, it was first concocted in 2001.

Ingredients

Some cocktails require a special trip to the liquor store and/or market. The Gold Rush is not one of those cocktails. In fact, you probably already have the following necessary ingredients:

• 2 ounces bourbon
• ¾ ounce lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• ¾ ounce honey syrup
• lemon peel (garnish)
• ice cubes

We use Four Roses bourbon to craft our Gold Rush cocktails. It's a great bourbon for cocktails since its flavors are relatively mild with hints of both vanilla and caramel. It's also one of the more affordable bourbons produced in Kentucky and has a 40% ABV - the lowest possible ABV for Kentucky bourbon.

How to Craft a Gold Rush

The first step in this recipe is to measure the bourbon, freshly squeezed lemon juice and honey syrup. We use a Japanese jigger to get accurate measurements and easy pours for all three of these liquids.

We like to prepare honey syrup in advance so that it has time to cool. However, we squeeze the lemon juice on the spot for maximum freshness.

Pro Tip: Prepare honey syrup in advance the same way you would prepare simple syrup - with a 1:1 ratio of honey and water stirred over a medium fire until the mixture simmers and the honey and water are well mixed. It's an easy process that only takes five minutes in a small saucepan.

Pour the bourbon, lemon juice and honey syrup directly into a shaker as you measure each.

We use a Boston Shaker to craft this and other cocktails and we love it. It's so easy to use and doesn't make a mess. Our previous shakers often leaked and the lid would stick to the base between uses.

Add a handful of ice cubes to the shaker and shake vigorously for 30 second or until the liquids are chilled and blended.

Drop a large ice cube into a lowball or rocks glass. Immediately strain the shaken cocktail into the glass.

The final step is to garnish the crafted Gold Rush with a lemon twist.

Pro Tip: Peel the lemon twist before you squeeze out the lemon juice.

Variations

With is combination of bourbon, lemon juice and honey syrup, the Gold Rush just might satisfy your cocktail sweet spot. If not, one of the following variations will likely get you buzzing:

• Add oatmeal stout to craft a Black Bee cocktail.
• Add hot water and a cinnamon stick to craft a Hot Toddy cocktail.
• Replace the bourbon with gin to craft a Bee's Knees cocktail.
• Replace the orange juice with grapefruit juice to craft a Brown Derby cocktail.
• Replace the honey syrup with simple syrup to craft a Whiskey Sour cocktail.
• Replace the bourbon with rum to craft a Honey Bee cocktail.

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