Kentucky Tippler

The Kentucky Tippler, says Ryan Andrews, lead bartender for the underground speakeasy Prohibition, is “a whiskey sour variation, named after a term that was used during Prohibition for a cocktail or drink — a ‘tipple.’” Similar to a Gold Rush, it’s “a modern contemporary classic of bourbon, lemon and honey. Our edition has a single-barrel bourbon, fresh grapefruit zest, and sarsaparilla bitters that I make locally out of the Henebery distillery in Vista.”

Ryan Andrews

He gives a description of what I’m in for. “You definitely get that citrus note first. Of course, bourbon being the main ingredient, you’re gonna taste that the whole way through. But then as you go past the citrus and it washes over your tongue, you’re gonna get that sweeter note from the honey. The lingering flavor is gonna be the vanilla and sarsaparilla. And then what’s gonna hang on your tongue the longest is that citric bitterness.”

Andrews uses a Kentucky Bourbon hand-selected from Angel’s Envy. “Like all bourbons, you have a subtle sweetness from the corn, a little vanilla from the barrel aging, the ever-so-slight hint of smoke.” This particular batch was finished in port wine barrels, adding “another layer of very subtle sweetness from the residual sugar leftover. It tends to round out a lot of those harsh notes you get from some whiskey — the sulfuric parts of it get a little bit muted.”

R&D Bitters draw in Americana-forward flavors. “I’m a big fan of root beer for starters. We were researching turn-of-the-19th-century soda jerk fountain recipes. It was a part of American culture that no longer exists, and since our company is kind of a throwback to that time period, we decided to run with that.” Andrews selected the sarsaparilla bitters for its “heavy notes of vanilla, a couple other herbal roots found in root beer like angelica root, forest root. It adds a very nice underlying flavor profile to the cocktail.”

Opting for the regal shake technique releases grapefruit oil directly into the cocktail. “You get a very nice aromatic out of it and the bitterness from the citrus peel itself.” For a sweetener, he cuts clover honey with hot water to prevent it from congealing. “Clover is a mellower type of honey. Wildflower is the other popular one out there. To me, it has a few floral notes that I’m not too keen on in the cocktail, where clover is a much more consistent honey.”

Andrews considers the Kentucky Tippler a very San Diego-appropriate cocktail. “We have summer 80% of the year… the general clientele wants something citrusy, refreshing. This drink is just a different vibe. You can take your time with it.”

Prohibition

Prohibition’s

Kentucky Tippler

• 2 oz. bourbon
• ¾ oz. lemon
• ¾ oz. honey
• 4 dashes R&D Sarsaparilla Bitters
• Large grapefruit peel

Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin with ice and give it a regal shake. Strain into a glass over one large ice cube.