Our celebration of Bourbon Heritage Month continues today with a tribute to a classic bourbon cocktail created right here in Louisville, Ky.: the Seelbach Cocktail.
This rather elegant cocktail that combines bourbon, bitters and champagne is named for the rather elegant Seelbach Hotel, where it was created in 1917. The Seelbach served as the backdrop for Tom and Daisy Buchanan’s lavish wedding in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” (he called it the Muhlbach Hotel), and you can toast their tragic story in the Old Seelbach Bar.
This cocktail is perfect for a toast or a delightful before-dinner drink. The champagne gives it a flirty, bubbly edge while the bourbon adds depth. Below is the recipe; the Seelbach uses Old Forester.
Seelbach Cocktail
1 oz. bourbon
.5 oz. Cointreau
7 dashes Angostura Bitters
7 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
5 oz. champagne
Chill a champagne flute. Add the bourbon first, followed by the Cointreau and bitters. Top with the champagne and garnish with an orange twist.
Tomorrow: A new twist on a classic cocktail.
