I have been thinking back and forth for a certain time what particular cocktail I finally want to mix with the Hudson Baby Bourbon. I am well aware of the fact that I am quite inclined to think of Old Fashioned cocktails every time I am dealing with spirits which I liked very much and which stand out from the majority of their siblings. And of course this is the case because these spirits don’t lose much of their character in an Old Fashioned. But this time I decided differently.
At first glance, many people may commiserate this and think something like “Why did you make something like this instead?” when they see the drink on the picture. I know that it looks like the stereotype of a “girl’s cocktail”. And even though I genuinely reject such categorizations when it comes to cocktails (and also in many other ways), but surely also female connoisseurs will take some pleasure in this cocktail. But to somehow downgrade it because of this would be very unjust – and also foolish since you’d be going to miss something. In fact, the Warehouse C is a great drink from the Death and Company in New York’s East Village. While browsing through the highly recommendable book “Death and Company – Modern Classic Cocktails”, I often stumbled upon this drink in the past, especially during the strawberry season. And since the Hudson Baby Bourbon is a little bit out of line from other bourbons, I could just imagine it to be wonderful in this drink because it can put a slightly different accent here and make the drink a little more mature and complex.
When reading the ingredients for the cocktail below and once again look at the pictures you will notice – yes – the cocktail is rather sweetish and – yes – it may look a little stereotypical. But nevertheless it is a very complex and anything but a one-dimensional drink, the opposite is true: this drink is brilliant! I myself am more a friend of bitter drinks or juleps, but the Warehouse C can inspire me nonetheless! And in addition to that it is a so-called “crowd pleaser”. So, off with your doubts and go for your shaker!
Oh, I made a few minor changes to the original recipe like adjusting the syrup ratios a tiny bit and also I completely replaced ginger syrup by the Galangal Crème liqueur (Galgant Cremelikör) of the Preußische Spirituosen-Manufaktur (Prussian spirits manufactory). This increases the alcohol content of the cocktail and makes it even better, as I think!
Recipe “Warehouse C” (slightly modified version):
4.5 cl Hudson Baby Bourbon
2 halved strawberries
1 cl Galangal Créme liqueur (PSM)
2.25 cl lemon juice
1.5 cl lime juice
1 cl cinnamon syrup
0.75 cl Orgeat
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
Preparation: First, completely muddle the strawberries in the shaker with your muddler. Then add the remaining ingredients and shake vigorously on ice. Double-strain into a pre-chilled glass.
Glass: Coupette
Garnish: Strawberry
Buying sources: At specialized retailers or online (during the strawberry season).
