To make it, you’ll need:
Combine all these ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake for about 15 seconds until everything is well chilled and diluted, then strain into a stemmed cocktail glass and enjoy.
The big appeal of the Brown Derby cocktail – which was invented in LA a few years prior to the repeal of Prohibition – is that it doesn’t contain anything that was hard to source here in the US. We grow our own grapefruits down in Florida, we got dem bees makin’ honey all over the place, and of course, we’ve got our beloved national spirit, Bourbon.
And that was important during Prohibition because during that time it was hard to get your hands on lots of fancy European Liqueurs and other imported mixers. So the Brown Derby is truly a drink of its time – it takes the whiskey sour format and evolves it in a compelling way, but it knows its limitations and stays in its lane.
Show Notes
Chris Swonger is a spirits industry veteran with a penchant for political advocacy. After graduating from Texas Tech, he jumped in his pickup truck and headed to Washington, DC to pursue a career on the hill and later used his talents while working for some of the largest spirits brands on the planet. After a decade long hiatus working in the tech industry, Chris returned to take the reins of DISCUS, Responsibility.org, and Spirits United. Below, you’ll find links to some of the topics covered in this interview.
