Cocktail #1
The last time I went to Olive + Oak, literally every person at the tables around me had ordered the "#1" cocktail, which, fittingly, is their #1 selling cocktail. It, like many of the drinks that come from the mind of Chelsea Little, goes down a little too easy. It's not a drink that smacks you in the face and reminds you that it's going to get you drunk—it pretends to be your friend, then you get up to go to the bathroom and your legs are a little more wobbly than usual. The #1—which is the number at which it appears in Chelsea's drink journal—is bourbon based. Chelsea did me the honor of letting me pick which bourbon I wanted, so of course I went with Dickel. Not because it's good, but because the name makes me laugh every time. So you've got your bourbon, pineapple cordial (the version below differs slightly), lime, mint, and sage. Oh, and Byrrh, which is probably pronounced like beer or maybe burr. Or possibly bye-rr. I don't think anyone knows. It's like port with herbal flavors mixed in.
Your friends will be impressed by your cocktail making skills when you lay this baby down in front of them. It's a little sweet, a little savory, but it's still got the distinctive taste of bourbon. I think it would be a wise move to go ahead and make extra from the get-go. Everyone's going to want seconds (and thirds...)
Chelsea’s Cocktail #1
YIELD: 1 | TOTAL TIME: 2 MINUTES
Ingredients
1.5 oz bourbon
1 oz Byrrh
1/4 oz lime juice
1/2 oz pineapple juice
3/4 oz simple syrup
sage
mint
ice
METHOD
Pick your favorite bourbon for yourself. Pick your least favorite bourbon for your friends. Pour all ingredients into a shaker with sage, mint (a couple leaves of each will do), and ice.
Shake well, then double strain. Finish with a sage leaf on top so it looks classy.
