Bourbon Renewal Recipe

Cocktail

1. 1

   Prepare chamomile honey syrup (make ahead)

   Combine equal parts honey and warm water (e.g., 1/4 cup honey + 1/4 cup warm water) and stir until combined. Add 1 teaspoon dried chamomile flowers, let steep for 10–15 minutes, then strain out flowers. Refrigerate. Use 0.25 oz per cocktail.

2. 2

   Chill glass

   Place an old-fashioned glass in the freezer for a few minutes or fill it with ice water while you mix the cocktail to chill the glass.

3. 3

   Build and shake

   In a cocktail shaker, add bourbon (2 oz), sweet vermouth (0.75 oz), fresh lemon juice (0.5 oz), maple syrup (0.25 oz), chamomile honey syrup (0.25 oz), orange bitters (2 dashes), and Angostura bitters (1 dash). Add 6 ice cubes to the shaker. Cap and shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted.

4. 4

   Strain

   Dump the ice water from the chilled glass (if used). Place a single large ice sphere or large cube into the glass. Double-strain the cocktail from the shaker into the glass using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to remove small ice shards and any chamomile bits.

5. 5

   Garnish and finish

   Express the oils from a lemon peel over the surface of the cocktail by holding the peel over the glass and giving it a firm twist, then run the peel around the rim and drop it into the drink. If desired, float a single dried chamomile flower on top for aroma and visual appeal. Serve immediately.

6. 6

   Notes on balance

   Adjust sweetness slightly if your bourbon is very spicy: increase chamomile honey syrup or maple syrup by 0.125–0.25 oz. For a drier style, reduce sweet vermouth by 0.25 oz. All ingredients listed correspond to one cocktail.