If You Love Whiskey and Ginger Beer, Meet the Irish Buck Cocktail

“Modern mixologists can seem like magicians in their creativity, bringing together novel ingredients in beautifully composed cocktails,” say Carey Jones and John D. McCarthy, the developers of the Irish Buck cocktail. “But here’s a trade secret: Even the most inventive drinks often share certain fundamental blueprints.” Cocktails are all about formulas, which makes many quite similar to one another. The Irish Buck is a classic sweet-and-sour fizzy drink much like the Tom Collins or a Moscow Mule which has a spirit, a citrus, a sweetener, and something bubbly — it’s a variation of the Bartender’s Golden Ratio. For the Irish Buck that’s whiskey, lemon juice, honey syrup, and ginger beer. It gets topped off with a basil sprig and is endlessly delicious. —Lucy Simon

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make honey syrup? 

Made much like simple syrup, honey syrup is just a blend of honey and water. To make it, add equal parts water and honey to a saucepan, bring them to a simmer, and stir continuously to dissolve the honey. If you don’t have access to a stove, you can also pour boiling water from a kettle over honey and stir to combine. We recommend making a big batch of honey syrup to keep in the fridge. It’s delicious over plain yogurt, on top of pancakes, or even drizzled over ice cream. Best of all, it'll stay good for up to three weeks when kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

What is the Bartender’s Golden Ratio?

This simple three-part ratio is the key to making excellent drinks with ease. The Bartender’s Golden Ratio calls for a 2:1:1 combination of ingredients. That means two parts spirit, one part sour, one part sweet. While the Irish Buck measurements deviate from this classic ratio a bit, it follows the same principles. Learn this ratio, and you’ll be a better bartender forever. 

Notes From the Food & Wine Test Kitchen 

If you love the aroma of fresh basil, take the flavor a step further and gently muddle a few basil leaves into the bottom of the cocktail shaker before adding the lemon juice, whiskey, and honey syrup. As you shake, the basil will infuse into the drink. Mint is also great to use here in lieu of basil.