Brown Derby
A bourbon cocktail made with grapefruit juice and honey syrup. It has light acidity, is sweet, and is moderate in strength at about 14% ABV.
Also in Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails, with a different recipe →
4
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe
Brown Derby
Making on the scale needs Web Bluetooth — use Chrome on desktop or Android. You can still Preview the steps.
Volume190 ml
Strength14% ABV
Alcohol27 ml (21 g)66 ml of vodka (40%)2 shots (of 30ml)
Sugar18 g (9.5%)4.5 sugar cubes
Acidity0.39%
SweetnessSweet
Buzza and Cardozo, “Hollywood Cocktails” (1930s)
Similar cocktails
Gold Rush
A bourbon sour-style cocktail made with honey syrup and lemon juice. It is sweet and tart, and moderate in strength at about 14% ABV.
Substituting lemon juice for grapefruit and increasing the honey syrup makes it sweeter, more sour, and less bitter, with no grapefruit note.
- Same: 2 oz bourbon and honey syrup, shaken.
- Different: .75 oz lemon juice instead of grapefruit juice; 1 oz honey syrup instead of .75 oz; served over one large ice cube in a rocks glass.
Blinker
A rye whiskey cocktail mixed with grapefruit juice, raspberry preserves, and simple syrup. It is lightly acidic, sweet, and moderately strong at about 16% ABV.
Rye in place of bourbon and raspberry preserves with simple syrup instead of honey make it spicier and fruitier, with less honeyed sweetness.
- Same: 2 oz whiskey and 1 oz grapefruit juice, shaken and strained into a chilled coupe.
- Different: Rye instead of bourbon; a barspoon of raspberry preserves and .25 oz simple syrup instead of honey syrup.
Navy Grog
A rum cocktail made with three rums, grapefruit and lime juices, and honey syrup. It has noticeable acidity, moderate sweetness, and moderate strength at about 14% ABV.
Rum in place of bourbon and added lime juice make it fruitier and less whiskey-forward, with less honey sweetness and more dilution from pebble ice.
- Same: Grapefruit juice and honey syrup.
- Different: 1 oz each of three rums instead of bourbon; .75 oz each of grapefruit and lime juice and .5 oz honey syrup; built and swizzled with pebble ice in a Collins glass.
Bee's Knees
A gin cocktail made with honey syrup and lemon juice. It is mildly tart, sweet, and low in alcohol at about 14% ABV.
Gin and lemon juice instead of bourbon and grapefruit juice make it more botanical and sharply tart, with less oak-vanilla richness and grapefruit bitterness.
- Same: .75 oz honey syrup, shaken and strained into a chilled coupe.
- Different: Gin instead of bourbon; .75 oz lemon juice instead of grapefruit juice.
Airmail
A low-proof rum and Champagne cocktail with lime juice and honey syrup. It is tart from the lime, sweet from the honey syrup, and light in alcohol at about 13% ABV.
Rum and lime in place of bourbon and grapefruit make it less oaky and less bitter, while the Champagne top adds dryness and carbonation.
- Same: Honey syrup, shaken and strained into a chilled coupe.
- Different: 1 oz rum instead of bourbon; .5 oz each of lime juice and honey syrup instead of the grapefruit juice and .75 oz honey syrup; topped with 1 oz Champagne, with a lime wheel.
Blackstar
A light, low-proof vodka cocktail with grapefruit and lime juices, star anise, and small amounts of sambuca and simple syrup. It is tart, lightly sweet, and about 13% ABV.
Lime and sambuca make it more tart and anise-flavoured, and vodka makes it less rich than bourbon and honey.
- Same: 2 oz spirit with grapefruit juice, shaken into a coupe.
- Different: Vodka instead of bourbon; no honey syrup; .75 oz grapefruit, .75 oz lime, sambuca and simple syrup; a star anise pod.
Brown Derby