Brown Derby
COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS:
- 60 ml Bourbon
- 30 ml Fresh Grapefruit Juice
- 7,5 ml Fresh Lemon Juice
- 15 ml Honey Syrup
- Grapefruit Peel (With as Little Pith as Possible)
GARNISH:
- Grapefruit Slice
- Sprig of Mint
- Dried Clover Bud
INSTRUCTIONS:
• Combine all of the ingredients including the grapefruit peel in a cocktail shaker.
• Add ice and shake until chilled.
• Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
• Garnish with a grapefruit slice, mint sprig and a dried clover bud.
Cocktail author: original cocktail first appeared in the 1930s Savoy Cocktail Book and then later has been re-appropriated as Brown Derby.
Brown Derby is a cocktail with a long and complex history, which takes a while to explain. Its basic three ingredient recipe (bourbon, grapefruit juice, honey syrup) first appeared in the 1930s Savoy Cocktail book, under the name De Rigueur Cocktail. Unfortunately, it was later copied and reissued in 1933 as the Brown Derby and the name stuck. (There is more to the story, but that is basically the gist).
Cocktail base is bourbon with its aged oak, vanilla and caramel notes laying a solid foundation. Grapefruit juice gives the cocktail a lively kick, not only providing the tartness, but also some complex bitterness. (Unlike the traditional recipe, this modification calls for a touch of lemon juice which boosts the tartness, without making the cocktail overly bitter.) All of this is balanced with a warm, floral notes of honey syrup, elevating the cocktail itself and its complexity. For additional grapefruit fragrance add some grapefruit peel to your shaker for a regal shake, in order to impart as much grapefruit flavour as possible without disturbing the balance.
Brown Derby is a great and rather simple bourbon cocktail with a slightly confusing history and it is a must try and know for any bourbon lover.