A Jigger of Blog

Derek Brown’s latest piece at The Atlantic is a really interesting history of the Suffering Bastard, a favorite of mine. I had no previous knowledge of the drinks colorful history (to go along with its colorful name). Here’s the recipe Derek uses for his Suffering Bastard:

Suffering Bastard

2 dashes Angostura bitters
Ginger beer or ginger ale
1 ounce gin
1 ounce brandy or bourbon (according to your tastes the night before)
1 teaspoon lime juice, sweetened (Fee Brothers or Rose’s sweetened lime juice)

Fill highball glass with ginger beer or ginger ale. Add remaining ingredients, stir well, and decorate with slice of lemon and slice of lime and a sprig of fresh mint. Drink deeply.

Seriously folks, if you’ve never had one of these, I highly recommend it. It’s far more complex and interesting than your usual Bourbon & Ginger or Dark & Stormy. Plus it’s one of the best examples of how cocktails using two very different base cocktails can be made and still be balanced, complex, and refreshing.