I was never one for bourbon or whiskey… that is until I had the opportunity to visit a small batch distillery and sample one of their super refreshing mixed drinks at the bar. You see, my only other experiences had been sipping brown liquor straight- NO thanks!! Until that day I had no idea that whiskey could taste so good.
True, as with most recipes, great ingredients lead to great results. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg, but do seek out a good middle-of-the-road bottle. And here in this drink, ginger beer, lime and agave brighten and lighten up the bourbon, making a great warm-weather cocktail when served over ice.
If it weren’t for the “punch”, I could sip The Southerly all day long!
What Is Agave Syrup? I Don’t Want to Buy Something I Won’t Use Again.
I hear ya. Agave syrup is readily available at grocery stores. It is a sweet syrup made from the agave plant. I have a bottle and use it mostly for cocktails, as it’s shelf stable, and dissolves easily in liquids. Though if you’d rather, you can substitute a homemade simple syrup in its place. Use equal parts sugar and water, and heat just until the sugar dissolves completely. Let it cool down before using it in your drink.
Can I Make This Drink Ahead?
Yes. Combine the bourbon, lime juice, and agave in a jar and shake to combine, then place in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, fill glasses with ice, give it one more shake, pour the mixture into glasses, and top with ginger beer.
I Am Having a Party. Can I Scale Up this Recipe?
Easily! This makes two drinks, so depending on how many people you have, you just need to decide if you double, triple, quadruple, quintuple or otherwise “n”-tuple it! For a big bash, I recommend making ahead (see above) and keeping it in a large glass pitcher in the fridge. When the party starts, you can put it out on the counter with the ginger beer on the side and a bowl of ice, and let guests pour their own.
The Southerly
Ingredients
- 5 ounces Bourbon
- 1 ½ ounces fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 ounce agave syrup
- 2 ounces ginger beer or ginger ale
Instructions
- Combine the bourbon, lime juice, and agave in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake for 20-30 seconds and then strain into two glasses filled with ice. Top each with ginger beer.
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