Whiskey can be a challenging ingredient in cocktails. Gin is kind of the workhorse of the cocktail world; it works in pretty much everything and fails in almost nothing. But whiskey is a fickle thing. There aren’t a ton Irish whiskey cocktails, because Irish whiskey has a pretty unique profile. Cocktails made with smoky Islay whisky basically don’t exist, and the vast majority of bourbon cocktails are spirit-driven, with the exception of variations on a Whiskey Sour.
Why is that? Well, for one, bourbon kinda clashes with a lot of fruit juices. Bourbon has all of this vanilla and caramel and candied orange peel that goes well with some fruits and not others. Think about it for a minute: how many delicious bourbon drinks have you tried with lime or orange juice? One? At best? Bourbon and lime juice go together like red velvet cake and sardines, let’s just admit it.
But lemon juice? Totally. Cranberry juice? Oh, definitely. But what about grapefruit? Well, oddly enough, the most polarizing of citrus fruits is a beautiful match for bourbon, or at least it can be. You just need one more ingredient that can bridge the gap between bourbon’s sweet, earthy, caramel flavors, and grapefruit’s acidic, floral tang.
Honey is this weird ingredient that can tie flavors together when you need it to. And by some miracle it sits in this perfect place between bourbon and grapefruit. Credit goes to the bartenders at Billy Wilkerson’s Vendôme Club in Los Angeles, who oddly named it for a neighboring bar, the Brown Derby. A quick search reveals the basic components go back to the Savoy Cocktail Book, in a curiously similar drink titled the De Rigeur.
At any rate, the Brown Derby is one of those back pocket drinks, for the times when a guest or friend is looking for something different. And as far as whiskey cocktails go, this one couldn’t be much more different.
Brown Derby Print Me
- 1.5 oz/45 ml bourbon
- 1 oz/30 ml grapefruit juice
- .5 oz/15 ml honey syrup (1 part honey, 1 part hot water, dissolved together)
- Combine ingredients with ice cubes in a cocktail shaker and shake well until cold.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- This drink requires no garnish, though a grapefruit peel or wedge of the fruit does work well.
Recipe printed courtesy of jeffreymorgenthaler.com
I do love a whisky cocktail. And this sounds really interesting, I’ll have to try it. Thanks for sharing! Ed
I’ve got to say that, in fact, my favorite variation on a whiskey sour is made with smoky Islay scotch–I’m more of a scotch fan than a bourbon fan. 😀 A few years ago, Laphroaig distributed a recipe for a cocktail called the Naughty and Spice: 1 oz. honey syrup, 1 oz. lemon juice, a pinch of cinnamon, and 2 oz. of Laphroaig Select (garnished with a slice of crystalized ginger) and it is an utterly fantastic winter cocktail. I have switched to Shieldaig Islay single malt, since it is still smoky but I don’t feel guilty mixing it. I also like an islay New York Sour made with honey syrup. I would consider such drinks to be variations on the Penicillin. Anyway, definitely both worth trying if you like scotch and whiskey sours!
What is the best bourbon to use??
We use Even Williams White Label at my bars, but I also love the Jim Beam Bonded in this one as well.
Seconded, although I put the blossom water in the honey syrup to sex it up a bit.
Two drops of orange flower water does wonders to a Brown Derby!
I’ll have to try that soon!
Let me know what you think about it
I tried this recipe (with a bit more bourbon) and after sitting a few minutes it separated, leaving a thick island of ingredients floating in a relatively clear liquid. All of my ingredients were in date and I was using bottled grapefruit juice. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Hmmm, not sure about that one. But I’ve never used bottled grapefruit juice so that’s probably the first place I’d start.
I’ve also been adding a 1/4 of lemon juice to my Brown Derby recipe for awhile, just to brighten it up a little
Ooh, I like that idea. Totally stealing that, thanks! 😉
How do you feel about the Barbara East cocktail?
Wait, what?
I don’t know the history of the cocktail, but here are my specs:
Pinch of salt
1/4 simple
1/4 lime
1 grapefruit
1/2 apricot liqueur (Rothman & Winter)
1 1/2 bourbon
Shake, up, berry garnish.
Sounds delicious, but I don’t think you can call that a Brown Derby any more.
Nope, it is its own classic. I was just thinking of other classic whiskey, specifically bourbon, cocktails that are shaken. Definitely not a Brown Derby.