Bourbon, bitters, and bubbly are a perfect combination.
Updated February 11, 2019
Ah, Kentucky Derby weekend—the time each year when people across the country begin affecting Southern accents and taking stabs at mixing, or at least drinking, mint juleps.
This isn’t a mint julep. Let’s be honest: unless you’ve honed your julep-making skills over years of withering summers, chances are the julep you’ll find in your silver tumbler or, god help us, plastic cup is going to range somewhere between mildly disappointing and downright undrinkable. Now, don’t get me wrong: I absolutely love mint juleps, and feel they are one of the great culinary contributions America has given the world; it’s just that making an excellent julep (really, is it worth drinking any other kind?) is an exercise that requires an inordinate amount of labor, skill and love.
Fortunately, there are other Kentucky-inspired drinks that are absolutely appropriate to be mixed on Derby weekend. One of these is the Seelbach Cocktail. Named for the Louisville hotel of that name, the Seelbach rests on a base of bourbon—as if it would be anything but—and dresses up this spirit with a little Cointreau, a healthy dose of bitters and an indulgent splash of Champagne.
The Seelbach Cocktail may not be a julep, but it doesn’t have to be: it’s respectable, powerful, and delicious right down to the bottom of the glass.
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1 ounce bourbon
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1/2 ounce Cointreau
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7 dashes Angostura bitters
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7 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
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5 ounces chilled dry Champagne
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Pour everything except the Champagne into a Champagne flute and stir. Top with Champagne, give everything a light stir, and garnish with an orange twist.
This Recipe Appears In
- Cocktails and Spirits with Paul Clarke: Cocktail History, Revisited
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 308 | Calories |
| 0g | Fat |
| 12g | Carbs |
| 0g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
×
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 1 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 308 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 0g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 0% |
| 0mg | 0% |
| 15mg | 1% |
| 12g | 4% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 7g | |
| 0g | |
| Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
| Calcium 27mg | 2% |
| Iron 1mg | 4% |
| Potassium 209mg | 4% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Bourbon, bitters, and bubbly are a perfect combination. Updated February 11, 2019 Ah, Kentucky Derby weekend—the time each year when people across the country begin affecting Southern accents and taking stabs at mixing, or at least drinking, mint juleps. This isn’t a mint julep. Let’s be honest: unless you’ve honed your julep-making skills over years of withering summers, chances are the julep you’ll find in your silver tumbler or, god help us, plastic cup is going to range somewhere between mildly disappointing and downright undrinkable. Now, don’t get me wrong: I absolutely love mint juleps, and feel they are one of the great culinary contributions America has given the world; it’s just that making an excellent julep (really, is it worth drinking any other kind?) is an exercise that requires an inordinate amount of labor, skill and love. Fortunately, there are other Kentucky-inspired drinks that are absolutely appropriate to be mixed on Derby weekend. One of these is the Seelbach Cocktail. Named for the Louisville hotel of that name, the Seelbach rests on a base of bourbon—as if it would be anything but—and dresses up this spirit with a little Cointreau, a healthy dose of bitters and an indulgent splash of Champagne. The Seelbach Cocktail may not be a julep, but it doesn’t have to be: it’s respectable, powerful, and delicious right down to the bottom of the glass. 1 ounce bourbon 1/2 ounce Cointreau 7 dashes Angostura bitters 7 dashes Peychaud’s bitters 5 ounces chilled dry Champagne Pour everything except the Champagne into a Champagne flute and stir. Top with Champagne, give everything a light stir, and garnish with an orange twist. This Recipe Appears In Cocktails and Spirits with Paul Clarke: Cocktail History, Revisited Nutrition Facts (per serving) 308 Calories 0g Fat 12g Carbs 0g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label × Nutrition Facts Servings: 1 Amount per serving Calories 308 % Daily Value* 0g 0% Saturated Fat 0g 0% 0mg 0% 15mg 1% 12g 4% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Total Sugars 7g 0g Vitamin C 0mg 0% Calcium 27mg 2% Iron 1mg 4% Potassium 209mg 4% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. (Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Seelbach Cocktail Recipe
