Drink like the one percent with the Billionaire cocktail.
The Billionaire cocktail was developed at the New York City bar, “Employees Only” fairly recently. With a smattering of ingredients like grenadine, absinthe, and lemon juice, it’s certainly invested in flavor. But the Billionaire is actually a direct descendant of the Millionaire cocktail. Who would have guessed.
The 1920s and 1930s in America were not a ton of fun. Between the 1929 Stock Market Crash and Prohibition, the idea of being a millionaire was pretty appealing. It was so appealing that not one, not two, but five different cocktails cropped up all with the name of, “The Millionaire.” The versions had very little in common with ingredients like rum, apricot brandy, and sloe gin. But one particular recipe, including bourbon, Grand Mariner, lemon juice, grenadine, and absinthe managed to stand the test of time.
The Billionaire cocktail is simply a modern riff on that bourbon Millionaire. It’s merely been adjusted for inflation. Similar to the Millionaire, the Billionaire includes bourbon, lemon juice, and grenadine, but swaps the Grand Mariner for simple syrup. The Billionaire also forgoes the frothy egg white and replaces absinthe with absinthe bitters.
The result is one rich, indulgent cocktail.
Billionaire
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Bourbon
- 1 ounce Lemon Juice
- ½ ounce Grenadine
- ½ ounce Simple Syrup
- ¼ ounce Absinthe Bitters
- 1 wheel Lemon (garnish)
Grenadine
- 2 cups Pomegranate Juice
- 1½ ounces Sugar
- 4 tbsp Pomegranate Molasses
Instructions
- To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 2 ounces of Bourbon, 1 ounce of lemon juice, ½ ounce Grenadine, ½ ounces of simple syrup, and ¼ ounce of Absinthe Bitters.
- Shake until very chilled.
- Strain into a chilled Cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a thick lemon wheel.
Grenadine
- Add 2 cups of pomegranate juice and 1½ cups of sugar to a saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir for about 5 minutes, add 4 tablespoons of Pomegranate Molasses, and then continue to stir.
- Once the sugar is all dissolved, remove the mixture from the heat and let cool.
Notes
- Store the Grenadine in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
