On the Rocks
My Husband, Parke is the best home bartender on the planet! He used to think he made a good drink…but it was ok at best. Then we took a bartending class at a little local cooking school, and the light bulb went on…Something happened, and within 48 hours he was making amazing drinks! He realized that every drink has 3 basic ingredients: an alcohol, a sour (lime/lemon juice) and a sweet or a soda; From there you can add bitters, herbs, flavors, etc. He got on the internet and started doing research. He read every cocktail book he could get his hands on. And then we took a second class. He got better and better. Today, it is several years later and he is just an unbelievably amazing bartender!! (However, note that I was in the exact same class, and I am just as bad as ever. If you are ever at our house don’t ever have me make your drink….no light bulb went on for me!!)
They say (although I’m not sure who “they” are) the most popular mixed drink ordered in a bar is a cosmopolitan or if you’re in a Mexican restaurant a margarita. However, my husband is a bourbon guy and in our house the most popular drink requested is his signature bourbon maple syrup drink. It’s delicious, easy to make, and only uses 3 ingredients. We call it “The Parkey”.
Parke uses 2 to 3 oz of bourbon depending on the size of the lime and how much alcohol you want in your drink. He shakes it vigorously and pours it in an old fashion glass. He likes to garnish with a tiny lime wedge and a cherry on a tooth pick. Most bars pour the drink over fresh ice. (They believe the new ice makes the drink colder.) However Parke likes to use the ice from the shaker because he doesn’t like to waste any of the residue left in the shaker!
The Parkey
Ingredients
Ice
1/2 of a Lime
3/4 oz Maple Syrup
2 to 3 oz Bourbon
1 Maraschino Cherry (optional)
1 small Lime Wedge (optional)
Directions
Squeeze a half of a lime over ice in a shaker.
Add the maple syrup and then the bourbon.
Shake and pour in a glass.
Garnish with a small wedge of lime and a cherry. Enjoy!
