Thursday, July 18, 2019

eastern sour

2 oz Bourbon or Rye (Old Granddad Bonded Bourbon)
2 1/2 oz Orange Juice
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Orgeat
1/4 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with crushed ice, pour into a double old fashioned glass, and garnish with spent orange and lemon shells.

After having enjoyed the Seahorse, I decided the next day to visit the Eastern Sour that was the inspiration for the drink. The recipe that I went with was Beachbum Berry's presentation in Remixed of the 1950s Trader Vic classic. I later found the drink in Trader Vic's 1972 Bartender Guide Revised (it was absent from Trader Vic's 1974 Rum Cookery & Drinkery though where I looked before picking up Remixed), and that recipe was very similar except the sweeteners were a dash each of orgeat and rock candy syrup, the juices were specified as 1/2 of a lemon and 1/2 of an orange, and there was a fruit stick and mint garnish in addition to the spent citrus shells.
The Eastern Sour welcomed the nose with Bourbon, orange, and nutty aromas. Next, orange, lemon, and malt on the sip gave way to Bourbon and a hint of almond on the swallow. As the ice melted a little, the Bourbon's heat subsided and the orange juice notes began to take over the flavor profile.

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