kentucky buck

2 oz Bourbon (Four Roses)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1 medium Strawberry
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Muddle the strawberry, add the rest of the ingredients, shake with ice, and double strain into a Collins glass (copper mug) with fresh ice. Top with ginger beer (2 oz Reed's) and garnish with a lemon wheel.
Since I had bought strawberries to make the Andalusian Fog Cutter, I decided to make a recipe by Erick Castro called the Kentucky Buck that he created at San Francisco's Rickhouse in 2009. While some of the recipes I found called for ginger syrup and soda water, I utilized the one from Imbibe Magazine which specified ginger beer. Once prepared, the Kentucky Buck welcomed the senses with lemon, strawberry, and ginger aromas. Next, a carbonated lemon and berry sip slid into Bourbon, strawberry, and ginger notes on the swallow. While most people who have asked me for a Kentucky Buck at work wanted something closer to a Moscow Mule (I usually push them towards lemon over lime since it pairs more elegantly with American whiskey), the strawberry and bitters definitely provide a great summery feel and depth of flavor to the mix.