Bourbon Brown Derby Cocktail

All you need is bourbon, grapefruit juice, and honey syrup to make this timeless Brown Derby Cocktail. It’s delicious, refreshing, and easy to make!

Course Cocktails

Cuisine Cocktails

Keyword bourbon brown derby, brown derby, brown derby cocktail

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings Cocktails

Calories 280kcal

Fill cocktail shaker 1/2 way with ice.
Add bourbon, grapefruit juice and honey syrup.
3 1/2 ounces bourbon, 2 ounces grapefruit juice, 2 ounces honey syrup
Cap shaker and shake for 15 seconds.
Divide and strain between the two glasses and add each grapefruit twist garnish to each glass.
2 pieces grapefruit rind
Sip
Smile
Enjoy

Helpful tips

I always advise buying the best alcohol you can afford. The taste difference between an ultra-budget bourbon and a mid-level bourbon is significant.
Honey syrup gives this cocktail a rich taste and it's very easy to make. You add equal parts honey and water. Some people like to add maple syrup in place of the honey. So, 1 ounce of water (it doesn't need to be hot to melt the maple syrup) to the 1 ounce of maple syrup and stir.
Try to get a good grapefruit juice. I usually buy mine at Whole Foods because it doesn't have preservatives.
I use both a coupe glass and a martini glass to showcase the cocktail, but you can use either two martini glasses or if you have them, two coupe glasses.
For the garnish, you are going to cut two grapefruit twists. One I cut with a paring knife because I wanted it to be a thick garnish and the other, I used a channeling knife to cut a thinner twist.
Here's how to use a channeling knife: Take the washed grapefruit in your non-dominant hand and the channeling knife in your dominant hand. Press down on the skin of the grapefruit and turn the fruit as you keep the same pressure. Cut as long a strip as you like. I feel - the longer, the better.
If you want to add a grapefruit slice along with the twist, I approve.