Full disclosure: I chose this recipe for the lavender garnish. I’m not ashamed to admit it. It’s just so pretty. Lately I’ve really been appreciating how much a fragrant herb garnish can do for a cocktail, and I was eager to find out what lavender would do for this one. And honestly? I think it’s pretty transformative. The base of this cocktail – bourbon, honey, and lemon – is basically a Gold Rush. The ginger syrup adds a bit of spice and extra citrus, but it’s that whiff of sweet, floral lavender that makes the Coal Miner’s Daughter something special.
Incidentally, lavender is something I am not growing on my balcony, so I snatched some from a neighbor’s front yard. I know, I know. But they have tons of it. Maybe I should go back over there and offer them a cocktail?
I made this recipe last week, while Food52 was having an Instagram contest for cold cocktails, so I snapped a photo and tagged it. It didn’t get much attention at the time, but yesterday they included it in a roundup of 10 photos from the contest! Since I’m still pretty new to this whole cocktail photography thing, I was quite flattered.
History: The Coal Miner’s Daughter was invented by Derrick Bass for Willie Jane in Los Angeles. This article talks about Bass’ cocktail menu, and made me want to fly to Los Angeles just for a drink.
Coal Miner’s Daughter
1 1/2 oz. bourbon
3/4 oz. lemon juice
3/4 oz. honey
1 tsp. ginger simple syrup*
1 sprig lavender
Combine all ingredients except lavender in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into an old fashioned glass with one large ice cube. Garnish with a sprig of lavender. Congratulations, you’ve struck gold.
*For ginger simple syrup, peel and slice a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger and simmer it in equal parts water and sugar for 10-15 minutes. Let cool and strain. It looks like the original recipe may have used macerated ginger, which is a little more complicated. This site has a recipe if you want to try it out.
Recipe from Liquor.com.