The Gold Rusher cocktail strikes gold.
The Gold Rusher is the creation of Helen Diaz – a bartender based in San Francisco. With a name like that, you may think the Gold Rusher is named for the Gold Rush cocktail, but then you’d be wrong. It’s actually named for San Fran’s NFT team, the 49ers.
As an avid fan, Helen Diaz wanted to create a drink that paid homage to the team and the history of its name. Since the 49ers were people who came to California during the 1849 Gold Rush, the “Gold Rusher” just made sense. Plus, calling it the “49er” probably would have violated about a million copyrights. So win-win.
Now the Gold Rusher may be confused by the Gold Rush for name, but could also be confused with the Midnight Stinger for flavor. Like the Stinger, this cocktail is a Fernet-Branca laced variation on the Whiskey Sour. But in Helen’s defense, San Francisco apparently consumes the most Fernet in the entire United States. So to squash any confusion between the drinks, the Gold Rusher goes one mile further (or in this case yard) than the Stinger with some added ginger and honey syrup.
The Gold Rusher may be a bit of a confusing cocktail play, but it may also be the winning one.
Gold Rusher
Equipment
- 1 Cocktail Shaker
- 1 Strainer
- 1 Rocks Glass
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces Bourbon
- ½ ounce Fernet-Branca
- ¾ ounce Lemon Juice
- ½ ounce Ginger Solution
- ½ ounce Honey Syrup
- 1 dash Angostura Bitters
- 1 sprig Mint (garnish)
Ginger Solution
- ¼ cup Sugar
- ¼ cup Water
- ¼ cup Ginger Juice (or 2 tbsp of fresh ginger)
Honey Syrup
- 1½ ounces Honey
- 1½ ounces Water
Instructions
- To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1½ ounces of Bourbon, ½ ounce of Fernet-Branca, ¾ ounce of Lemon juice, ½ ounce of Ginger Solution, ½ ounce of Honey Syrup, and 1 dash of Angostura Bitters.
- Shake well until chilled and then double-strain into a Rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
- Garnish with a mint sprig.
Ginger Solution
- Combine ¼ cup of sugar, ¼ cup of water, and ¼ cup of ginger juice (or 2 tbsp of fresh, diced ginger) into a small saucepan and stir over medium heat.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat, and strain the ginger.
- Let cool before using and store in the refrigerator.
Honey Syrup
- Combine 1½ ounces of honey and 1½ ounces of water into a small saucepan and stir over medium heat.
- Once the honey has dissolved, remove from the heat and let cool.
Notes
- Store the honey syrup in the refrigerator for up to one month.
