The Best Kentucky Buck
The inspiration for this summer cocktail was provided by a local restaurant in Minneapolis, MN. We ordered a Kentucky Buck cocktail at our team Christmas party last year and it was so delicious that we knew we had to recreate this drink at home. After a few tests, we did it! This cocktail recipe tastes just like the restaurant version and it is our new cocktail of the summer!
Looking for More Cocktail Recipes?
If you love love them too, you definitely need to try our Apple Cider Bourbon Cocktail!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
- bourbon whiskey – our recipe testing was done with Basil Hayden’s bourbon whiskey, but feel free to use your favorite bourbon.
- strawberry simple syrup – easily whip up a batch of strawberry basil simple syrup to keep in the fridge or buy a store-bought version at the grocery store.
- ginger beer – the perfect touch of sweetness to top off this cocktail, but some people like using ginger ale too.
Prep Ahead Tips
A homemade strawberry simple syrup is perfect for prepping ahead of time. It will need to be cooled for a bit before using anyway. Simply mix it in a small saucepan, simmer, strain, and store in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
How To Make A Kentucky Buck
Now put all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, except the ice and ginger beer. Give it a good shake and pour over ice in a highball glass.
Top with the ginger beer and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- What is a Kentucky Buck cocktail? It is a bourbon cocktail made with bourbon whiskey as the base, plus strawberry simple syrup, angostura bitters, and ginger beer to sweeten it up. We also added a splash of lemon juice for the perfect summer cocktail!
- Kentucky Buck vs. Kentucky Mule: the recipe card below is for a Kentucky Buck. A Kentucky Mule is simply a moscow mule, but made with bourbon instead of the traditional vodka.
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Kentucky Buck Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Counter Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Our delicious Kentucky Buck cocktail recipe is a slightly sweet bourbon drink that is perfect for enjoying all summer long!
Ingredients
- 2 oz bourbon whiskey
- 1 1/2 oz strawberry basil simple syrup
- 1/2 oz lemon juice
- 2–3 dashes of bitters
- ice cubes
- 3 oz ginger beer
- optional garnish: fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Cocktail Shaker: Put the 2oz bourbon, 1 1/2oz strawberry basil simple syrup, 1/2oz lemon juice, and a few dashes of bitters in a cocktail shaker. Secure the lid on top and give it a good shake.
- Ice: Pour the cocktail over ice in your favorite cocktail glass.
- Ginger Beer: Top off the cocktail with the ginger beer and give it a little stir.
- Enjoy: Option to garnish with strawberries and enjoy!
Notes
- Bourbon: just pick-up your favorite bourbon from your local liquor store – we used Basil Hayden’s during testing and it was delish!
- Sweetness: feel free to adjust the sweetness with more or less strawberry basil simple syrup.
- Simple Syrup: it is easy to make strawberry simple syrup, but you can also pick-up a store-bought version, if you want, or just use regular strawberry simple syrup or plain simple syrup!
- Larger Batch: option to double or triple the recipe to make more than 1 cocktail.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cocktail
- Calories: 268
- Sugar: 33.1 g
- Sodium: 10.7 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.8 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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