Early in my education in the art of bartending and cocktail making, I learned that classics are classics for a reason. They are the template which creates a balanced and interesting drink, lasting the test of time. For some palates, classics are not perfect and while sticking with basically the same “cocktail build,” it’s simple to swap out flavors that make it more interesting to you.
The Magic of Ginger
Let’s apply this paradigm to a truly great ingredient: ginger. When you think ginger cocktails what comes to mind? Probably a Mule, the Moscow variety. Did you know that this classic is a riff on a pre-prohibition era cocktail named after singer and actress Mayme Taylor? We honor her with this simple interpretation of America’s number one ordered classic cocktail made with Fruitations Ginger. (Hard to guess, right?)
Here’s my version of a Maime Taylor, an absolutely delicious concoction, no matter the auto-correct error for Miss Mayme.
All you need is:
2 oz of your favorite blended scotch
¾ oz of Fruitations Ginger Syrup
1 oz lemon or lime (differing accounts of the original citrus)
4-5 oz of soda water
A highball glass
Ice
Garnish with a fresh citrus peel to match your juice choice.
Refreshing and sophisticated.
Next stop, the Bourbon Buck
The Bourbon Buck is the precursor to a Mule. Whisk(e)y typically loves lemon, though as above sometimes people switch it to lime. To make a traditional Buck, use the same proportions as above and substitute your favorite bourbon for scotch (Old Grand-Dad is my go-to). You can also add a dash of bitters for an easy variation.
Follow this path and find the modern-classic Kentucky Buck. Bartender Erik Castro developed this cocktail circa 2014. Same recipe as above, add 2 dashes angostura bitters and two muddled strawberries. This time shake everything but the soda water to get the strawberries incorporated and strain the pulp out using both a hawthorne strainer and a tea strainer. (Make sure to double strain all that pulp out. No one like stuff floating in their glass.)
You can make a gin variation with the recipe above, using lime preferably and some mint leaves. Throw a few cucumber slices in and you’ll look like a superstar mixologist.
You’re getting the idea by now. Simple tweaks make drinks fresh and new without too much investment. All you need is Fruitations!
