Gold Rush recipe
A whiskey sour perfected — bourbon, honey, and fresh lemon.
Method: Shake ·
Glass: Rocks glass ·
Time: 3 min ·
Difficulty: Beginner ·
Family: The Daiquiri Family
Ingredients
- 2 oz Bourbon
- 0.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- 0.75 oz Honey Syrup (equal parts honey and hot water)
How to make a Gold Rush
- Make honey syrup by combining equal parts honey and hot water, stir until dissolved.
- Add bourbon, lemon juice, and honey syrup to a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard for 12-15 seconds.
- Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
Garnish
None — this drink is perfect naked.
Pro tip
The honey syrup is the key — straight honey is too viscous to mix properly in a cold drink. A 1:1 ratio with hot water gives you the sweetness and flavor without the thickness. Use a good wildflower or clover honey, not the cheap stuff in the bear bottle.
History of the Gold Rush
Created by T.J. Siegal at Milk & Honey in New York City around 2001. It's essentially a whiskey sour with honey syrup replacing simple syrup, but that single substitution transforms the drink entirely. The honey adds warmth, body, and complexity that plain sugar can't match. It became one of the defining drinks of the craft cocktail renaissance.
Flavour profile
Warm, Citrus, Sweet, Smooth
Variations
- Penicillin — Add ginger syrup and float smoky Scotch on top
- Brown Derby — Use grapefruit juice instead of lemon
- Bees Knees — Replace bourbon with gin — the original honey-lemon sour
Practise making the Gold Rush in the free Virtual Bar game.