So far, the best thing about adulthood is being able to come home, take off my pants, pour myself a very strong drink, and watch reality television until my eyes fall out of my face. At my apartment, there is never a shortage of booze. Never. We haven’t had any butter in our refrigerator in three weeks, but we damn sure have a nice bottle of Riesling. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that I like a little drink with my reading. It’s a very nice pre-bedtime ritual, and it gets me in the mood to just settle down and sleep.
Here at SBTB HQ, we’re branching out! Redheadedgirl has her historical kitchen. Carrie has her Kickass Women in History. Elyse has her gorgeous knitting. And I have endless amounts of creativity, a full liquor “cabinet,” and the constitution only a woman in her mid-twenties can have. Surely, I shouldn’t let that go to waste.
For my first experiment in pairing drinks with books, I just had to do The Bourbon Kings by J.R. Ward. Start small. I mean, it has bourbon in the name. And, while the drink I’m making is called bourbon lemonade, I’m using Jack Daniels, which isn’t technically bourbon. So let me add that disclaimer right now. Jack Daniels, I believe, meets all of the criteria to be classified as a bourbon, but the company prefers to call it a Tennessee whiskey.
To be honest, I don’t care about splitting hairs when it comes to alcohol. Unless we’re talking vodka. Grey Goose or GTFO.
Set in Kentucky, where there is actually a Bourbon County, The Bourbon Kings is similar to a Southern family saga with a sweltering heat, both in atmosphere and in terms of sexytimes. In the summer, I’m a chronic lemonade drinker. Using lemonade as a base with a kick of bourbon (or Tennessee whiskey, if you’re technical) seemed like a brilliant idea. It also doesn’t hurt that the book’s cover matches quite well, which makes me feel more stylish than I actually am.
But now onto the good stuff! For future reference, all of these recipes are for a single glass. I was throwing a party that weekend, so I essentially quadrupled everything to make a big pitcher of it.
Shopping list:
A whiskey or bourbon of your choice
Lemon liquor
Lemonade
Simple syrup (sugar and water)
Lemons
Lemon flavored seltzer water (optional)
Mint (optional)
Proportions:
2oz. lemonade
1oz. bourbon
1oz. lemon liquor
1/2oz. simple syrup
1/2oz. fresh lemon juice
Recipe for simple syrup:
- I make my simple syrup in a 1:1 ratio.
- Take one cup of water for every one cup of sugar and pour it into a pot. Increase the amounts as needed.
- Stir the mixture regularly under medium heat until all the sugar is dissolved. You don’t want the water to boil or simmer.
- Pour into a jar or other container to let cool in the fridge. I tend to make big batches at a time, so I always have it on hand.
Modifications and notes:
- I prefer the drink over ice instead of using a shaker with ice to chill it.
- If making a large batch, I definitely suggest throwing in some lemon slices and mint to infuse into the liquid while it’s sitting in the fridge.
- Seltzer water adds a nice, refreshing bubbly quality to the drink. My roommate preferred her drink with it; I preferred it without.
- I used Newman’s Own Lemonade, which is on the sweeter side. If you prefer your lemonade a little more tart, I’d recommend Simply Lemonade.
- Limoncello is surprisingly tart, so I thought it cut the sweetness of the Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey quite well.
- To increase the sweetness, use more simple syrup. If it’s too sweet, use more lemon juice.
And there you have it. A nice glass of bourbon lemonade to get you through The Bourbon Kings!
My Jacksonville-native husband is the bourbon drinker in our family (I’m a single malt gal) and his favorite recipe is “Bob Edwards’ Mint Julep”. Edwards was the former host of NPR’s Morning Edition, and if you’ve never seen his recipe or tasted his mint julep from “NPR Cooks!”, I recommend Googling it.
Thanks for sharing this. I’m waiting on my copy of J.R. Ward’s newest and looking forward to enjoying it.
That sounds like a yummy, summer drink and I already have the whiskey!
@Darlene: I have a cheap palate, so I like to drink without knowing it, which is why I frequently love to mix in fruit juices. That being said, I do love a mint julep.
@Chris: Let me know how you like it! Or what modifications you make!
This looks delicious
Newman’s Own is the best. I like tart, and Simply Lemonade just isn’t lemon-y enough.
As much as I’d like to, I just can’t do the bourbon. I had a particularly memorable run-in with a bourbon sazerac a couple years ago, and now even the sight of bourbon makes me think of vomit, shame, and an utterly wasted plate of eggs benedict*. Just thinking about it is making me queasy. I want to be all sophisticated and drink bourbon, but it’s not gonna happen any time soon.
*Note: I have a tequila story that involves public pantslessness, and I think I’m more upset about the lost eggs benedict. Priorities, my friends.
@Dread Pirate Rachel: Oh no! Though I think everyone has that “proceed with caution” alcohol. For me, it’s Jaegermeister. I need to go real easy with the stuff. As far as straight bourbon, I had a friend who would order just that. We’d be in a semi-club type place and he’d still order bourbon, though he was kind enough to teach me out to drink it straight without making a face.
Hopefully, you’ll get to try (and hopefully enjoy) the next recipe!
I am HERE for this featurette! I also begin my post-work home life by promptly taking off my pants. Pants are the worst. My other favorite “being an adult” moment happened last summer when I came home, sat in front of the tv with the A/C on full blast, and had ice cream for dinner. Adulting is awesome.
If you don’t like your lemonade with bourbon, try making it with rye whiskey (an under appreciated liquor) or heading WAY north and make it with Canadian whiskey. George Dickel Rye would be GREAT with this recipe.
I would probably skip mixing in the lemonade and simple syrup and go with a drop of Tuaca instead. 🙂
Here’s to No Pants After Work!
Try this hot the next time you have a head cold. Lemon has a natural decongestant that releases with heat. And whiskey is, well, whiskey. My last head cold, the otc decongenstants did nothing. The ONLY time my sinuses cleared was while indulging in hot lemonade with Jack Daniels.
I shuck my pants at the front door. I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only one. 🙂
There are definitely uses for cheap vodka. There is no point in shelling out for good vodka if you’re using it for an infusion. For example I’m currently making nocino/liqueur de noix (green walnut liqueur) with a 10.99 for 1.75 liters vodka. http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/07/liqueur-de-noix-green-walnut-liq/
A good cheap vodka cocktail is earl grey vodka (stick a couple of tea bags in room temperature vodka let sit until you like the color, pour back into original bottle), mixed with San Pellegrino Limonata to taste (1 part vodka to 3 parts Limonata? Something like that I wasn’t paying any attention when I was making it). This is also o e of the drinks that goes down real smooth and then clubs you over the back of the head with drunkeness.
Jack Daniels and lemonade has its own name – it’s a Lynchburg Lemonade. (And it’s extra amazing if you muddle a little fresh basil at the bottom of your glass.)