Today’s clever cocktail comes to us from Hollywood. Named after the famed Brown Derby diner, the drink was first published in the 1933 “Hollywood Cocktails” though the same ingredients were published under another name in “The Savory Cocktail Book” three years earlier. As is often the case, alcohol muddles memories and provenance is sometimes difficult to prove. Regardless of its origins, the Brown Derby is a great cocktail that is easy to make and still translates to today’s tastes. Hooray for Hollywood!
The Brown Derby
In a shaker glass filled with ice add:
- 2 Ounces Bourbon
- ¾ Ounce Fresh Grapefruit Juice
- ½ Ounce Honey Syrup* (1:1)
Shake until painfully cold. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.
*To make honey syrup work equal parts of honey and hot water together until honey is thinned. This allows it to incorporate into the cocktail without clumping.
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