I don’t think it’s a very big secret that we’re a Morgenthaler-loving household. I’ve written about quite a few of Jeff’s cocktails here in pretty glowing terms, though I try to keep the adjectives to a minimum to minimize our effect on Jeff’s ego—it’s already pretty legendary without us.
That aside, there’s no way to sugarcoat this. I’ll just have to say it: the Bourbon Renewal is one of Dan’s all-time favorite cocktails. It appears on his top five and his five desert island cocktails. It is most of the reason we have créme de cassis in the bar at all times. It is the go-to bourbon drink at our house, especially if we’re out of mint for juleps.
That sound you now hear is Jeff’s ego, expanding.
2 oz bourbon
1 oz fresh lemon juice
½ oz creme de cassis
½ oz simple syrup
1 dash Angostura bittersMix ingredients and pour over cracked ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge, or not if you’re lazy.
My faint praise be damned, there is a reason that Playboy picked this as a drink of the month. Sweet, tart and dry with a hint of spice, it’s pretty much perfect for all seasons. I tend to find myself more interested in whiskey during the cold months, but the Bourbon Renewal is light and refreshing enough to serve in the summer without sacrificing any of the delightful qualities of the bourbon. Jeff recommends using Woodford Reserve, but we make ours with whatever we have handy; this time we used Buffalo Trace and it still came out perfectly. An excellent all-around tipple and definitely worth a try.
May 13th, 2009at 3:36 pm(#)
[...] Original post: Bourbon Renewal [...]
May 13th, 2009at 7:58 pm(#)
I think you might have me confused with another Pacific Northwest bartender, Marleigh. But thank you for the kind words and I’m glad that you’re enjoying the drink.
Hi, Dan!
Jeff
May 13th, 2009at 9:16 pm(#)
This is really good — a nice twist on the standard whiskey sour (always a favorite of mine). I’m drinking one made with Bulleit right now and can say that bourbon works quite well indeed! I think I’m going to play around with different aromatic bitters in this one, like Fee’s Barrel Aged, Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas’ or Old Time Aromatic, or maybe even a few drops of my precious stash of Abbott’s.
In all events, thanks for the post — I missed this one on Jeff’s site.
(BTW, try a Diablo for another great Creme de Cassis drink; it’s my wife’s favorite and she doesn’t even drink…much.)
Cheers,
Mike
May 13th, 2009at 9:20 pm(#)
Before pouring over ice, mix how? Shake & strain? Stir? Roll? Thanks.
May 13th, 2009at 9:22 pm(#)
Someone else can explain it with authority, but I just built mine over crushed ice, gave it a good stir and started sipping. Seemed to work just fine!
May 14th, 2009at 11:03 am(#)
Jeff—I never said you were as bad as Boudreau. ;)
Mike—Glad you like it! Diablos are also nice, I think I might have written one up years ago but I have no recollection anymore.
Tex—We’ve made them built and shaken. The drink comes out great either way.
May 14th, 2009at 1:27 pm(#)
Thanks. I’ll just have to drink one made each way — built, and shaken. Someone has to sacrifice to advance scientific knowledge. Thanks for the responses.
May 15th, 2009at 2:10 am(#)
I am a Morganthaler fan too….and the fact that he recommends Woodford Reserve is just another reason that he is legendary. I keep a couple extra bottles in my home bar just in case I need a last minute gift.
May 17th, 2009at 7:05 pm(#)
Count me in the Morgenthaler fan club too! I made this drink quite a few times during my Friday night bar shift over here on the East Coast, big hit! Thx for sharing the recipe!
May 18th, 2009at 8:24 am(#)
I found this one a little sweet for me. Topping with club soda made it perfect, however.
May 27th, 2009at 3:23 pm(#)
[...] attempt at cocktail-ing (says the ever-opinionated drunken marxist). I found this recipe on Sloshed (see side bar) – next time I think I will use a bit less creme de cassis - my drink was [...]
July 26th, 2009at 1:36 pm(#)
Ahaan… I will follow.
December 13th, 2009at 7:41 pm(#)
I’ve tried this drink, the eastern sour, and traditional whiskey sours a few times, and I’m not a fan at all. I’ll try tweaking it more to my taste (I think I need to reduce the lemon by a half or so), but I can’t imagine ever liking any variation of a whiskey sour. I should note that I enjoy sour-themed cocktails (margarita, daiquiri) and other bourbon drinks (old fashioned, manhattan).
December 17th, 2009at 12:16 pm(#)
The Bourbon Renewal isn’t much of a sour at all, but your palate is probably just more sensitive to sour than other people’s. There’s no crime in not liking a particular class of drinks—you may not be there yet, or you may not ever like them. C’est la vie.
January 18th, 2010at 3:57 pm(#)
[...] Bourbon Renewal [...]