Bourbon + Loretta Lynn = A quintessential Kentucky cocktail.
Loretta Lynn is one of the queens of country music and basically Kentucky royalty. Originally from an itty bitty town in Kentucky, Loretta Lynn has won just about every country music award possible and released 16 no. 1 country singles. The most famous of which was, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”
Now it would make a lot of sense that the cocktail named for a Kentucky legend was from Kentucky itself, but no such luck. The Coal Miner’s Daughter cocktail was actually invented by Derrick Bass at the Willie Jane bar in Venice, California, which has unfortunately permanently closed. While Venice may be about as opposite from Kentucky as you can get, this cocktail still brings big “spring in Kentucky” vibes.
The bourbon-based cocktail uses lemon juice and honey for a classic cocktail foundation – then things really get interesting. A dose of ginger syrup spices up the cocktail, and then just as you start to wonder if you’ve accidentally made a Penicillin, you add fresh lavender to the mix. The final result is a creation that nails sweet, sour, spice, and floral all in one. It’s a no. 1 hit for a spring cocktail that we’re sure would make Loretta proud.
Sure the Coal Miner’s Daughter cocktail may be a bit of an imposter, but after enough bourbon who can really tell the difference?
Coal Miner’s Daughter
Equipment
- 1 Cocktail Shaker
- 1 Rocks Glass
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces Bourbon
- ¾ ounce Lemon Juice
- ¾ ounce Honey
- 1 tsp Ginger Syrup
- 2 sprigs Lavender (divided)
Ginger Syrup
- ½ cup Water
- ½ cup Sugar
- ¼ cup Ginger (peeled and chopped)
Instructions
- Add 1½ ounces of Bourbon, ¾ ounces of lemon juice, ¾ ounces of honey, 1 tsp of ginger syrup, and 1 sprig of lavender into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Shake until well-chilled and then strain into a Rocks glass filled with a large, fresh ice cube.
- Garnish with a fresh sprig of lavender.
Ginger Syrup
- Add ½ cup sugar, ½ cup water, and ¼ cup peeled and chopped ginger into a small saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently until the sugar is dissolved.
- Remove from the heat, cool, and then double strain.
Notes
- The ginger syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
