A century ago, the Seelbach Hotel, in Louisville, was a glitzy destination where big spenders from all over the country would gather to clink glasses of Kentucky whiskey. That was the age that produced the Seelbach cocktail, a glamorous concoction of bourbon, orange liqueur, bitters, and champagne that guests like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Al Capone might have enjoyed. The drink disappeared somewhere in the chaos of Prohibition but was rediscovered by a hotel manager in 1995. Former Oakroom bartender Eron Plevan didn’t veer too far from the original recipe.
Drinks
Classic Cocktail: The Seelbach
Louisville’s pre-Prohibition cocktail
Photo: Andrew Hyslop
Ingredients
-
1 oz. Old Forester bourbon
½ oz. Cointreau liqueur
4 dashes Peychaud's bitters
3 dashes of Angostura bitters
Champagne or sparkling wine
Orange peel
Preparation
Stir together bourbon, Cointreau, and bitters in a chilled champagne glass. Top with cold champagne or sparkling wine, and garnish with a long twist of orange peel.
Related Stories:
The Wild South
The South Carolina–based chef and outdoorsman brings an inspiring approach to wild game and fish. Get his recipe for coriander-cured venison loin
Food & Drink
Belly up to the relic where Andy Warhol, Jack Kerouac, and Bob Dylan once gathered. Plus, shake up a pineapple-infused cocktail from the menu at Eberly
Recipe
Two soft cookies encase a schmear of peach and buttermilk ice cream
Trending Stories:
Arts & Culture
For almost fifty years, they carried the bags of golf legends but also masterminded victories from the tees to the holes. Then, with one decision, their lives shifted, and the legacy of their glory days went unheralded. Finally, that’s changing
Food & Drink
Step aside New York and Chicago: Biloxi, Mississippi, has a secret pizza ingredient that’s ready for the spotlight
Arts & Culture
Decades later, those dainty florals still hold a powerful grip on the South