Cocktails › Classics › Gold Rush
Gold Rush
A Whiskey Sour in a warmer coat. The Gold Rush keeps the bourbon and the lemon and trades the plain sugar for honey syrup, and that one swap changes everything. The honey rounds the edges, deepens the bourbon, and leaves a soft golden richness that plain syrup never quite reaches, while the lemon keeps the glass bright from the first sip to the last.
Ingredients
- 2oz (60ml) bourbon
- 0.75oz (22ml) fresh lemon juice
- 0.75oz (22ml) honey syrup, three parts honey to one part warm water
- Plenty of fresh ice, for shaking
- One large ice cube, for serving
- Lemon twist, for garnish, if you like
Method
- Stir the honey and the warm water together until fully combined, then let the honey syrup cool before you build the drink.
- Add the bourbon, the fresh lemon juice, and the honey syrup to a shaker filled with fresh ice.
- Shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds until the shaker is frosty and the drink is well chilled.
- Place the large ice cube in a rocks glass.
- Strain the drink over the large cube and let the golden colour settle for a moment.
- Express the lemon twist over the glass if you are using one, then rest it on the rim or drop it in, and serve at once.
Tip: The honey syrup does the quiet work in this glass, so make it with care. Three parts honey to one part warm water gives a syrup that pours like simple syrup and still tastes deeply of honey. Honey straight from the jar clumps in a cold shaker and sweetens unevenly, so the syrup is worth the extra minute. Shake hard and serve it over one large cube, because a big cube chills the drink while melting slowly, and the balance you shook stays in place to the last sip.
Serve It With
Our sister site Cooking with Dade pairs it with Hungarian Goulash with Egg Noodles.
Variations
- Bee's Knees. Swap the bourbon for gin and keep every other measure the same. The honey turns floral against the gin botanicals, the lemon reads brighter, and the glass drinks lighter and more fragrant while the golden warmth stays.
- Spiced Gold Rush. Add two dashes of aromatic bitters to the shaker before you shake. The spice sits under the honey, the bourbon reads warmer and deeper, and the finish grows longer without the drink turning sweet.
Questions
What is in a Gold Rush cocktail?
Bourbon, fresh lemon juice, and honey syrup. The drink is shaken hard with ice, strained over one large cube in a rocks glass, and finished with a lemon twist if you like.
Where does the Gold Rush come from?
The Gold Rush is a modern classic created in New York in the early two thousands, most often credited to T.J. Siegal at the bar Milk and Honey. It took the Whiskey Sour build and swapped the simple syrup for honey syrup.
How do I make honey syrup?
Stir three parts honey with one part warm water until the honey fully dissolves, then let it cool before you use it. Stored cold in a clean sealed jar, it keeps well for about two weeks.
What bourbon works best in a Gold Rush?
A straight bourbon with warm vanilla, a little spice, and enough body to stand up to lemon and honey works best. A solid bottle at a good strength keeps its voice in the glass and leaves the finish warm and clean.
Can I use honey straight from the jar instead of honey syrup?
You can, but the syrup is better. Straight honey clumps and sinks in a cold shaker, so the drink sweetens unevenly. Honey syrup blends through the whole glass and gives you the same balance in every sip.