Gold Rush Cocktail

The gold rush cocktail is a simple drink built with bourbon whiskey, honey syrup, and lemon juice!

Gold Rush Cocktail Info!

The gold rush is an easy drink to make. It is a combination of honey syrup, bourbon, and fresh lemon juice. This drink is very similar to a whiskey sour cocktail, but the whiskey-honey combo transforms the cocktail's taste and mouthfeel, making it a gold rush cocktail!

In the early aughts, the gold rush cocktail was created in New York City's Milk & Honey bar. It has since been widely popularized worldwide and is often considered a pre-Prohibition favorite. This modern invention was made at a time when important drinks were popping up all across the USA. Bartenders tried out new recipes and tweaked old ones. You could try new liqueurs, but you also had to drink them liberally. Alternate base spirits were mixed into tried-and-true recipes and rules were often broken. This era saw many great success stories. The Penicillin cocktail was also developed at Milk & Honey in this era!

Ingredients & Tips

A good bourbon should have a bit of age when you make the gold rush. It is not necessary to choose one that is too aged, as the oak can overwhelm the other ingredients. The 4-to-8-year age range is sufficient. Instead of squirting honey directly into your shaker, you can make a honey syrup. This is similar to simple syrup but with honey replacing the sugar. You can make a one-to-one mixture that works well. However, if you prefer a richer tasting drink, you can add more honey to the water. This will give you a lusher and richer mouthfeel. The key ingredient to cutting through whiskey and honey is fresh lemon juice. It adds balance to the cocktail.

I told you that the drink was similar to a whiskey sour but as you can see we miss the egg white! It doesn't need it. The honey gives it plenty of body which makes it good for people who get weird when the raw egg is added.

To combine the ingredients, give it a shake with ice. Honey can require some shaking to mix well. You might discover your new favorite bourbon-based beverage by taking a sip of this beauty. This three-ingredient drink is a reminder of the importance of synergy, and that sometimes simplicity is better.