Great news, everyone!
We’ve crossed the $200 mark on Patreon (meaning I can order the first round of Bar Chaplain coasters). As promised, here is the recipe and story behind the Sweetie Collins drink that you saw in the Patreon video!
The drink had two inspirations:
(1) the Broken Bicycles cocktail from Sidecar (Teelings Small Batch Whiskey, lemon juice, honey syrup, apple bitters, apple chip garnish— amounts unspecified)
(2) the John Collins (1.5 oz bourbon, 3/4 oz simple syrup, 3/4 oz lemon juice, top with soda)
When it comes to cocktails, Sidecar is my favorite spot in Jacksonville, and the Broken Bicycles is easily in their top five seasonal cocktails. I originally set out to recreate this drink, but the more I played with the ingredients, the more it became a riff on the John Collins. My friends and family had to endure some pretty cloying concoctions during those first few weeks, but after some serious trial and error, I arrived at the right ratios. Here’s the breakdown:
1oz Honey Syrup
To make the honey syrup, use a 1-to-1 ratio of orange blossom honey to water. Simply boil a cup of water, stir in a cup of honey, and reduce to simmer until it fully dissolves. Store the syrup in a sterilized bottle or jar— the sterilized part is very important! Pour some boiling water into the jar ahead of time (making sure to pour it over the inside of the lid too), and make sure nothing else comes in contact with the jar interior or lid before you seal it. I had some funky stuff growing in my syrup jars before I learned to do this! Syrup stored like this stays good for at least a month, but syrups with higher sugar concentrations tend to last much longer.
3/4oz Fresh Lemon Juice
This is the one completely unchanged ratio from the John Collins, but one special note:
As you’re getting ready to juice the lemon, make sure to run the peel along the rim of the Collins glass. The lemon peel contains oils that will add a rich texture and just a hint of bitterness to balance the sweetness of this drink.
2 dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
I originally tried to use apple bitters for this cocktail, but I found that the strong cinnamon overpowered any other flavors. Orange bitters were far more complementary with the citrus, and I love the way Angostura Orange resonates in the upper palate.
2oz Two Stars Bourbon
I originally used Tullamore Dew, but the smoky punch of bourbon created more of a contrast. Ideally, make this cocktail with Two Stars, but I’ve found that Four Roses and Buffalo Trace do the job just fine too. As always, I stick to mid-tier spirits for my cocktails, so these bourbons range from $18 to $22 for a fifth.
Preparation
Cocktails involving citrus almost always need to be shaken, and this one is no exception. Pour the four ingredients above into a shaker filled with ice, shake vigorously, and strain into a Collins glass over ice. Top with soda, throw in a couple of cocktail straws, and serve.
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