The Forgotten Bourbon Cocktail That Deserves A Comeback, Especially For Fans Of The Old Fashioned

Bourbon is a versatile spirit that is as wonderful to sip neat as it is in a well-crafted cocktail. It features in many classics such as the old fashioned, the Manhattan, the whiskey sour, the mint julep, and the Boulevardier, to name a few. But among some forgotten old-school bourbon cocktails we rarely see anymore, there's one that deserves our attention in today's cocktail culture: the Kentucky colonel. 

This cocktail is quite similar to an old fashioned, with one difference. Instead of using sugar to add sweetness to the drink, the Kentucky colonel uses Bénédictine, a French herbal liqueur that gives it a distinct spicy, herbaceous profile that distinguishes it from an old fashioned. The first known Kentucky colonel recipe appeared in 1914 in Jacques Straub's cocktail manual that was simply called "Drinks" and contained many brief recipes for mixed drinks. That recipe called for Bénédictine, Green River whiskey, and lemon peel. It is unclear when the bitters came into play; some recipes call for Angostura while others reference orange bitters. 

Regardless, if you're a fan of boozy, rich cocktails like the old fashioned or Manhattan, you might enjoy their unique cousin. With the revival of pre-Prohibition cocktails, the Kentucky colonel deserves a chance at a comeback.

After its triumphant comeback, the old fashioned has made legions of fans who enjoy its spirit-forward profile and classic allure. Cocktail aficionados have also experimented with different spirits to create variations of the old fashioned, so the Kentucky colonel will fit right in among them.

The Kentucky colonel should appeal to drinkers that embrace lesser-known liqueurs like Bénédictine, which has an intiguing back story. While its recipe is said to hail from a long-lost French monastery, it seems this legend was concocted by its actual creator, a wine merchant named Alexandre Le Grand. The recipe contains 27 herbs and spices; some of the known ingredients are saffron, cinnamon, fir cones, juniper, citrus, clove, nutmeg, hyssop, myrrh, and angelica root. The rest are shrouded in mystery.

What we know is that Bénédictine's complex flavor profile adds a unique herbaceous and spicy twist to the bourbon. You'll also find it in New Orleans' famed Vieux Carré cocktail, and in more obscure ones like the Bobby Burns, in which it complements Scotch whisky and sweet vermouth.

Like similar cocktails, the Kentucky colonel should be stirred. Some sources say to serve it over a large ice cube in an old fashioned glass, expressing the oil of a lemon peel over the drink then using it as garnish. Others say it's best served in a coupe, garnished with a maraschino cherry. Why not experiment with both, and see what tickles your fancy.