Drink of the Week: Kentucky Buck

Photo: Lara Ferroni

Trust us—you’re going to want to try today’s Drink of the Week. A riff on a classic Whiskey Buck cocktail, the Kentucky Buck (the creation of bartender Erick Castro) combines muddled strawberries with bourbon, citrus, bitters and ginger beer for a cocktail that’s simple to make, but even easier to drink. It’s also a cocktail we think has true staying power, so much so, that we’ve named it one of 10 modern classics in our new May/June issue. Mix one up and find out for yourself why it made the cut.

Kentucky Buck

2 oz. bourbon

3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice

1/2 oz. simple syrup (1:1)

1 medium strawberry

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Chilled ginger beer

Tools: muddler, shaker, strainer, fine strainer

Glass: Collins

Garnish: lemon wheel

Place the strawberry in a shaker and muddle. Add remaining ingredients (except ginger beer) and shake with ice. Fine-strain into an ice-filled glass, top with ginger beer and garnish.

Erick Castro