Lux Libations | Traditional Sours - Palmetto Bella Magazine

Zach McCabe

November 8, 2020

Jack Rose — not quite a household name when it comes to cocktails, but maybe it should be. At first glance, there isn’t anything special about a cocktail like this. Simple measurements, three ingredients, two of which are quite common (you’ll recognize them if you read last month’s article), but then you taste it. It’s lush, delicious, clean, and complex, and it’s PINK! What more could you possibly want?

A traditional “sour” like the Jack Rose utilizes a tried and true cocktail template. The basic 2:3/4:3/4 ratio is darn-near perfection. Don’t believe me? Ever hear of a gimlet? Whiskey sour? daiquiri? (Yeah, that’s right, a daiquiri!) They all use the same ratio and are all fantastic in their own way. I like screwing around with complicated drinks using obscure ingredients as much as the next cocktail nerd, but there is something beautiful about a simple, perfectly balanced drink like a traditional sour. Give it a try and tell me I’m wrong.

2 oz apple brandy like Laird’s
3/4 oz grenadine (see below)
3/4 oz fresh lime juice

Add everything to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel or wedge.

Using the Template

Don’t have any apple brandy? No worries — swap in some gin and simple syrup for a classic, fresh gimlet. Or try whiskey, lemon, and simple syrup for a whiskey sour. (You can even throw some egg white in there if you are feeling fancy.) Or if you want one of my all-time favorites, try a white rum, lime, and simple syrup for the best tasting drink you ever had, a daiquiri.

A Note on the Lime Wedge

In the world of cocktails and mixed drinks there is something called a “functional garnish.” A citrus twist over an Old Fashioned, a dusting of nutmeg on some homemade eggnog, a fresh sprig of mint adorning your julep. Such things can improve or alter the way you taste a drink. It stands to reason, if there are functional garnishes, then there are also non-functional garnishes. Think about pineapple fronds in your favorite tropical tipple, espresso beans on top of your espresso martini, or an edible orchid floating on your mai tai. They add to the visual appeal of your beverage, but that’s about it. Now, if you’re wondering why the heck I’m rambling on about garnishes, let me (finally) cut to the chase. Some garnishes have an opt-in functionality. Lime wedges are the best example I can give you. They allow the imbiber to decide whether he or she wants to increase the tartness of the drink or not. Take a sip of your drink. Assess the tartness. Too tart? Squeeze away. Otherwise leave that lime alone, dude. A little liquid choose-your-own-adventure. So, next time you order yourself a tasty marg, don’t be that person who blindly squeezes his garnish into his drink. Give that daisy a little sipper-roo before you squeeze that thing.

Grenadine?

Any of y’all out there thinking, “Oh, yeah, that cherry-flavored stuff?” I’ve been there. Actually, despite popular belief, cherry has no role in grenadine. It is simply a pomegranate syrup with a few bells and whistles. With that said, not every “grenadine” you find on the shelves at your local grocery is actually grenadine. Like many things in the world of cocktails (*cough* sour mix *cough*), fresh and flavorful ingredients were pushed out of the way for shelf-stable and mass-producible, thus a lot of the grenadine you find out there is just high-fructose corn syrup colored red. Luckily for us, the cocktail revolution is in full swing and you aren’t stuck with that bottle of neon-red goop you can usually find in-between lime cordial and coconut cream in the supermarket. There are several excellent true grenadines on the market these days. I’ve had great experiences with brands like BG Reynolds, Small Hand Foods, and Jack Rudy, to name a few. If you can’t find it in your local liquor store, and you really can’t wait more than two days for your Jack Rose, there is always Amazon. Or you can make your own, like I do.

Zach McCabe

Zach is a mixologist who first discovered the joy of making cocktails as a means of being hospitable when hosting new friends. Years later, he is now putting his knowledge and skills to use creating menus for local cocktail bars, teaching cocktail classes, curating spirits tasting flights, and bartending happy hours, special events, and parties. Zach is also a co-founder of Augusta Neat, Augusta’s very own whisk(e)y enthusiast club that meets monthly to taste and learn about what the world of whisk(e)y has to offer. Zach has years of mixology experience and holds a Level 2 certificate in spirits from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. Follow him on Instagram @all.equal.parts to see his latest creations, collaborations and upcoming events.

Zach McCabe

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