Take Your Lyle's Syrup and Make a Whiskey Sour

A golden syrup riff on the Gold Rush.

Did you make the 3:2 syrup with Lyle’s Golden Syrup from last week’s newsletter?

Do you want something else to do with it now that you’ve made a Lyle’s Old Fashioned or three? 

I strongly believe that if you’re going to make a novel ingredient, you should endeavor to try it in more than one format. And since the 3:2 Lyle’s syrup we made last week is a close cousin of honey syrup, you should consider using it in place of the honey syrup that would usually go in a Gold Rush. 

A Gold Rush, of course, is a neo-classic cocktail that came from what was arguably the godparent of nearly all of today’s craft cocktail bars, Milk and Honey.

It’s best understood as a kind of Whiskey Sour — a drink typically made whiskey, lemon juice, and sugar syrup — but with honey syrup instead of sugar. 

But what a difference that seemingly small ingredient swap makes. A whiskey sour with honey isn’t just a whiskey sour with honey. It’s something else entirely — a lush, not-quite-honey-thick cocktail that fully earns its new name. 

Substituting Lyle’s for honey doesn’t make quite the same dramatic impression, but it still makes a big difference: Lyle’s makes the drink into a baker’s delight, adding a gentle browned butterscotch note to the mix. 

Given the complex state of the bourbon market, which varies from state to state, it’s hard to recommend a specific bottle. But I made this successfully with both Wild Turkey 101 and Evan Williams Bottle-In-Bond. Use your house bourbon! 

If you are a bitters maximalist who keeps some sort of cinnamon bitters around, consider adding them to the mix — but understand that they’re not strictly necessary. This is a cocktail that benefits a bit from augmentation but definitely doesn’t require it. 

It’s also another good example of a drink that should help you think about what this mixed-down Lyle’s syrup is good for, and the ways that it departs from more conventional sweeteners. 

It’s pretty tasty too. 

Since I have a fairly strong preference for giving new drinks names that refer back to their inspirations, we will call this…

The Golden Standard 

• 5 drops cinnamon bitters (optional)

• ¾ ounce 3:2 Lyle’s Syrup

• ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice 

• 2 ounces bourbon (Wild Turkey 101) 

INSTRUCTIONS 

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker. 

2. Add ice, then shake until chilled, about 10-12 seconds. 

3. Strain into a rocks glass over a single large piece of ice. 

Large Dogs, Of Course