Gold Rush

The Gold Rush is a modern three-ingredient bourbon sour — bourbon whiskey, fresh lemon juice and honey syrup, shaken hard and poured over a single large rock of ice. It is in essence a Whiskey Sour with honey standing in for the usual sugar syrup, a swap that gives the drink a rounder, richer body and a warm floral sweetness in place of plain sugar. The colour is a deep, glowing gold; the balance is tart and spirit-forward, the honey softening the lemon without making the drink sweet. Created at the New York bar Milk & Honey in the early 2000s, it has become one of the most widely poured modern classics — a simple, polished house drink that rewards good bourbon and real honey.