Brown Derby Cocktail

The retro Brown Derby cocktail pairs bourbon whiskey with grapefruit and honey syrup: it’s sweet, citrusy and refreshing!

Here’s a drink that’s sweet, citrusy and just plain fun: the Brown Derby cocktail! This 1930’s retro drink is a tasty bourbon cocktail that tones down spicy whiskey with sweet grapefruit juice. The unique thing about this drink? It uses honey syrup instead of the traditional simple syrup, which adds complexity and mellow undertones. Serve this drink anytime: it’s the perfect signature drink for a party, or dilute it with soda water to make into a highball for brunch.

What’s a Brown Derby cocktail?

The Brown Derby cocktail was invented in the 1930’s in Hollywood, California. While you might think it’s a horse racing drink (like the Mint Julep), the name actually comes from a restaurant. The Brown Derby was a chain of restaurants in LA in the 1920s that were shaped like, well, a brown derby hat! (Here’s a photo.)

It’s very similar to a cocktail called De Rigueur in 1920’s cocktail books, the only difference being the use of bourbon and the quantities. The ingredients in a Brown Derby cocktail are:

• Bourbon whiskey
• Grapefruit juice
• Honey syrup

How to make honey syrup

Honey syrup is simple syrup made with honey instead of granulated sugar. You can use any type of honey to make it, and different types infuse different flavors. Use a local honey if you can find it! It brings in the unique nuance of flavors of flowers from your area. Here’s how to make honey syrup:

1. Add equal parts honey and water to saucepan and heat over medium heat.
2. Stir until the honey is dissolved (don’t bring to simmer!), about 1 to 2 minutes. Cool to room temperature before using. Keeps in the refrigerator for 1 month.

More cocktails that use honey syrup? Once you’ve made a batch, use it to make the Bees Knees, Penicillin, and Gold Rush.

How to make a Brown Derby cocktail: shake and strain!

The Brown Derby is a standard shaken cocktail: there’s really nothing more to the drink than shaking and straining! Here’s what to do, with a few substitute suggestions for equipment:

• Shake: Add the bourbon, grapefruit and honey to a cocktail shaker. Fill it with ice and then shake until very cold. Don’t have a cocktail shaker? Use a mason jar with a cover instead.
• Strain: Strain the drink into a cocktail glass. Don’t have a cocktail strainer? Use a fine mesh strainer instead.
• Garnish: If you’d like, a grapefruit slice garnish makes the glass festive.

Add a squeeze of lemon if you like!

Here’s an editorial comment from your resident cocktail experts! Looking at this glass, you might assume that it tastes bright and tangy. But the overwhelming flavor profile for a Brown Derby cocktail is sweet. Grapefruit juice is less tangy than lemon juice and lime juice: like orange juice, it’s got more sweet notes. If you love tangy sour cocktails (like we do!), you may want to add a squeeze of lemon to your Brown Derby to add a hint of brightness.

Love grapefruit cocktails? Try the Greyhound, Salty Dog Cocktail, Paloma, Hemingway Daiquiri, or Sea Breeze.

Serving the Brown Derby as a brunch drink

Some people say the Brown Derby is a brunch drink: likely because it contains grapefruit. But we can’t necessarily say we recommend 3 ounces of whiskey for brunch! If you’d like to use it for brunch, we’d recommend diluting it with soda water to make it into a highball cocktail or a spritzer. Here’s what to do:

• Make up a mix that’s 3 or 4 times the recipe below. Estimate that 1 serving below equals 2 servings of the diluted drink.
• Pour it into glasses using equal parts Brown Derby mix and soda water.

When to serve a Brown Derby cocktail

The Bees Knees cocktail is a sweet retro cocktail that’s great for sipping as a:

• Summer drink
• Happy hour drink
• Dinner party drink
• Guys or girls night drink
• Cocktail hour drink

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More bourbon drinks

Are you a bourbon fan? Here are a few more of the top bourbon cocktails to have in your arsenal:

• Kentucky Mule A bubbly and refreshing way to enjoy your bourbon…in a copper mug.
• Best Whiskey Sour The very best way to drink bourbon! Lemon, bourbon and simple syrup.
• New York Sour This stunning sour has a whiskey sour on the bottom and a red wine layer on top.
• Manhattan Cocktail This sophisticated whiskey drink has a long history.
• Milk Punch A bourbon cocktail made with milk and sugar! It’s cold and creamy, and works for brunch or evening.
• Bourbon Sidecar A tangy spin on the classic Sidecar that’s classy and sophisticated.
• Maple Bourbon Smash Icy and refreshing! Like a citrus spin on a mint julep.