Kentucky Buck recipe
Bourbon, strawberry, lemon, and ginger beer make a bright contemporary buck with real Kentucky backbone.
Method: Shake ·
Glass: Highball glass ·
Time: 4 min ·
Difficulty: Intermediate ·
Family: The Highball Family
Ingredients
- 2 oz Bourbon
- 1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
- 2 Fresh Strawberries
- 3 oz Ginger Beer
How to make a Kentucky Buck
- Gently press the strawberries in the bottom of a shaker.
- Add bourbon, lemon juice, syrup, and ice.
- Shake hard and strain over fresh ice in a highball glass.
- Top with ginger beer.
- Garnish with strawberry and mint.
Garnish
Strawberry slice and mint sprig.
Pro tip
Muddle the strawberries enough to release juice, but do not pulverize the seeds. Fine straining keeps the finished drink clean.
History of the Kentucky Buck
The Kentucky Buck was created by bartender Erick Castro in the 2000s. It is a modern example of how a simple whiskey sour can become a bright, accessible long drink.
Flavour profile
Strawberry, Ginger, Lemon, Bourbon
Variations
- Kentucky Mule — Skip strawberry and use lime instead of lemon.
- Kentucky Buck Smash — Add mint to the shaker before shaking.
- Rye Buck — Use rye whiskey for a spicier version.
Practise making the Kentucky Buck in the free Virtual Bar game.