A Gold Rush cocktail is made with bourbon, honey syrup, and fresh lemon juice and served over ice. It's a refreshing bourbon lemon cocktail that tastes great year round.
A Gold Rush is a drink that may seem familiar because it's a cousin to so many of your favorite cocktails. It's basically a whiskey sour but using honey instead of sugar, and kinda like a hot toddy but it's served cold.
The use of honey syrup in a Gold Rush makes it a variation on a Bee's Knees cocktail, swapping the gin out for bourbon. The honey keeps the flavors smooth and mellow, without being too sweet or heavy.
Although it seems like a pre-prohibition classic cocktail, the Gold Rush is a drink that was created by T. J. Siegel in 2001 in New York City, at the now-closed Milk & Honey bar.
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Gold rush cocktail ingredients
You only need 3 ingredients to make this delicious bourbon lemon cocktail, and you probably have all of them on hand right now. So let's go!
- Bourbon: Choose a good bourbon that is used for cocktails, not a single barrel or small batch whiskey that you would reserve for sipping exclusively on its own. I love Four Roses Bourbon for mixing cocktails.
- Fresh lemon: We'll need freshly squeezed lemon juice here, don't use that stuff in the bottle!
- Honey syrup: Honey syrup is just a simple syrup that is made with honey in place of the sugar. We'll mix equal parts honey and water.
- Lemon twist: For the garnish and great floral aroma.
How to make a gold rush drink
Step 1: How to make the honey syrup
Mix ½ cup honey and ½ cup water in a bowl and place in the microwave until warm, but not hot. Stir until the honey dissolves completely and set aside to cool.
You could also do this in a sauce pan over medium heat, but I think it's easier to control the heat in the microwave.
Step 2: Cut the lemon twist, juice the lemons
Use a paring knife to cut a lemon twist from the peel of a fresh lemon. You can cut wide ones like I did here, or thin ones and make them curly, it's your choice.
Once you've cut your twists, juice the lemon(s) and set aside.
Step 3: Mix up the Gold Rush cocktail and serve!
Pour the bourbon, lemon juice, and honey syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes.
Shake vigorously until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice, garnish with the lemon twist, and serve!
Tips and tricks
- If you really want the smoothest Gold Rush cocktail, instead of equal parts honey and water, use 2 parts honey to 1 part water. This will level out the tartness from the lemon and give you a silky mouthfeel.
- You'll have more honey syrup than you need, but it will store for up to two weeks in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. Add it in place of simple syrup to other cocktails or put a little in your tea.
- A Gold Rush makes a great batch cocktail, so if you've got friends coming for a drink, stir up a pitcher full and have them ready to go!
FAQ
A Gold Rush is a well-balanced bourbon lemon cocktail. The honey syrup adds sweetness, but it's not too sweet. The lemon makes it tart and light. The bourbon gives it just enough bite and a bit of warmth.
A Gold Rush is made with honey syrup, lemon and bourbon and is served cold. A hot toddy is made with whiskey and hot water, with honey and lemon stirred into the hot liquid, and it often includes spices like a cinnamon stick, cloves, or star anise.
A bourbon lemon cocktail by any other name...
The Gold Rush cocktail can go by many names. Some people refer to it as a honey bourbon cocktail, a gold cocktail, a bourbon lemon cocktail, or a golden cocktail.
But by and large, when they refer to any of these drinks, they are probably talking about a Gold Rush!
More bourbon drink recipes
For a cozy fall feeling, you can't beat a Maple Old Fashioned! It uses maple syrup in place of white sugar and it's oh so smooth. The Manhattan Cocktail is the classic of all classics! A Boulevardier Cocktail blends the sweetness of bourbon with the bitterness of Campari for an irresistible combo.
Why you'll love a gold rush cocktail
- It's a 3-ingredient cocktail: bourbon, lemon, and honey syrup.
- It's well-balanced, not too tart and not too sweet.
- You can enjoy it year round.
- Makes a great bourbon batch cocktail, and the honey syrup can be made ahead.
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Recipe
Gold Rush Cocktail Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Gold Rush Cocktail
- 2 ounces bourbon
- ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
- ¾ ounce honey syrup
Honey Syrup
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Mix ½ cup honey and ½ cup water in a bowl and place in the microwave until warm, but not hot. Stir until the honey dissolves completely and set aside to cool. See note.
- Use a paring knife to cut a lemon twist from the peel of a fresh lemon. You can cut wide ones, or thin ones and make them curly, it's your choice.
- Juice the lemon(s).
- Pour the bourbon, lemon juice, and honey syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes. Shake vigorously until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice, garnish with the lemon twist, and serve!
Notes
- You could make the honey syrup in a sauce pan over medium heat, but I think it's easier to control the heat in the microwave. It doesn't need to be that hot for the honey to dissolve, and you won't have to wait long for it to cool down because we want cocktails NOW!
- If you really want the smoothest Gold Rush cocktail, instead of equal parts honey and water, use 2 parts honey to 1 part water. This will level out the tartness from the lemon and give you a silkier mouthfeel.
- You'll have more honey syrup than you need, but it will store for up to two weeks in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator, so you can make it in advance. You could also add it in place of simple syrup to other cocktails or put a little in your tea.
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