Kentucky Made

This bourbon lime cocktail is livened up with fresh cucumber and mint. Balanced, refreshing and herbaceous, your Kentucky Made is best made with Maker’s Mark^®.

Ingredients

2 parts Maker’s Mark^® Bourbon
1 part lime juice
3/4 part simple syrup
5–6 mint leaves
5 thin slices of cucumber

Pro Tips

PUT A RIBBON ON IT: The cucumber garnish offers a chance to refine both your glass presentation and knife skills. Experiment with angle slices, spears and ribbons.
A NICE TOUCH: Slapping or clapping herbal garnishes like rosemary, mint and basil activates their flavor and aromatics.
PRE-ROLL: Before squeezing, firmly roll citrus on your countertop using the palm of your hand. This will loosen the pulp and can help yield more juice.
STAY SWEET: Simple syrup will keep in the refrigerator for at least a week and has a number of uses. It’s great in sauces, marinades, vinaigrettes and, of course, other Maker’s^® cocktails.

How to

Muddle mint, cucumbers, lime juice and simple syrup in shaker.
Add Maker’s Mark.
Shake with ice and strain into rocks glass.
Garnish with mint sprig and a cucumber slice.

HOW THEY MADE IT History of Kentucky Made

Funny story. Kentucky Made wasn’t invented anywhere near the Bluegrass state. In fact, the cocktail was first mixed in the mid-2000s at one of our favorite Lower East Side speakeasies. Originally named the Kentucky Maid, this bourbon-based lowball features an aromatic blend of mint and cucumber. Kentucky Made is descendent of the Whisky Sour with its standard spirit-citrus-sugar structure. It steps out of the norm by using lime instead of lemon. Speaking of breaking with the norm, you might find the Kentucky Made serves as a nice alt to the Mint Julep.