Here’s a new cocktail for y’all.

Bourbon/Ginger Punch

Bourbon and ginger beer are a refreshing mix. Spicy and warm. Yet somehow crisp.

You will need:

• 2-3 Ounces of Bourbon
• 1 Ounce of Orange Liquor
• 1 TBS Ginger Simple Syrup
• 1/4 TSP Bitters
• Chilled Ginger Beer
• Mint Sprigs/Orange Slice for Garnish

Start with the bourbon. Pour 2 to 3 ounces over a few ice cubes in a shaker. We just use a Mason jar.

Then an ounce of orange liquor. Like tripe sec or Grand Marnier.

Ever made a simple syrup?

It’s pretty…..well, simple.

Boil together 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water, (For ginger flavor I add about 1/4 cup of chopped ginger root). Stir constantly until it’s reduced by about half.

Remove the ginger and let the syrup cool.

Add 1 tablespoon of ginger syrup to the shaker.

Bitters may sound a little unusual.

By that, I mean you probably don’t have any on your bar-cart right now. But you should. Bitters adds a certain….(clears throat) bitterness to drinks.

At the turn of the century bitters were a pretty common ingredient in most cocktails and actually thought to cure many stomach-related ailments.

I found some at our local liquor store. I really wasn’t expecting to. So it should be pretty easy for y’all to find too.

Add a quarter teaspoon of bitters to the mix.

Give it all a good shake.

Pour over an ice filled glass. Also a Mason jar…….you may notice.

Top off with chilled ginger beer.

Ginger beer isn’t a beer at all. It isn’t even alcoholic. It’s really a sweet, ginger-flavored fizzy water.

We got ours at Sur La Table, but I see it’s also available at World Market.

Don’t forget to garnish with a sprig of mint and an orange slice.

Enjoy.

It packs a punch, like most bourbon drinks do.

So be sure to enjoy it slowly.