Name: Clara Bow
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 7 fresh Mint leaves; 30 ml Bourbon whiskey; 15 ml Rye whiskey 50% abv; 15 ml Elderflower liqueur; 10 ml Grenadine syrup; 22.5 ml Lemon juice

Ingredients

7 fresh

Mint leaves

1 fl oz

Bourbon whiskey

¹⁄₂ fl oz

Straight rye whiskey (100 proof /50% alc./vol.)

¹⁄₂ fl oz

Elderflower liqueur

¹⁄₃ fl oz

Monin Grenadine Syrup

³⁄₄ fl oz

Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

How to make

Glass

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.

Prepare garnish of mint sprig

Method

Gently MUDDLE mint in base of shaker (just to bruise).

SHAKE all ingredients with ice.

FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

Garnish with mint sprig tip floated in the centre of the cocktail.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Alcohol content:

We don't have enough information to calculate the alc./vol., but based on known ingredients, this recipe contains at least:

18.9 grams of pure alcohol

History

Adapted from a recipe created late in 2009 by Lynnette Marrero and Jim Kearns for the opening of Rye House at 11 West 17th Street in Manhattan, New York City, a bar which stocked over 30 rye whiskies but sadly closed due to the COVID pandemic.

Named after Clara Gordon Bow (1905-1965), an American actress and sex symbol of the Roaring Twenties who rose to global fame starring in the film It, earning her the nickname "The It Girl".

Gallery

Comments & Discussion

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CJ Grant 2w

Saw this cocktail on a variety of YoutTube channels. I never recall thinking it was something I would make, but I had all the ingredients, so I went for it.

I agree that, in any bruised/muddled mint drink, the quality of mint is key. Mine was average, so I flipped the rye and bourbon percentages and used a minty rye (Willett).

I knew the rye was strong, but still wondered about the elderflower potency, and it isn't overwhelming. It does run just on the sweet side, to me, but I love the interplay of everything.

Joseph Nelson Premium Member 7w

I love it when my mint is fresh and ready for plucking for things like cooking or, more importantly, cocktails! But this cocktail wasn't quite what I expected.

Let's be up front, your mileage with this cocktail is going to hinge on the quality and flavor of your mint and the quality of your grenadine. I highly recommend better than the bottled grenadine I used.

I over-fed this drink mint leaves, but never got a lot out of that. It ended up a tasty whiskey sour with the edge trimmed way down. It was gorgeous to look at, which is rare in my personal dive bar, but just a notch above average in flavor profile. I think better grenadine would have made it exquisite. And maybe my mint is weak.

It's definitely weaker than my whiskey!

I'm going to retry with some improved ingredients. As it stands, very good, looks perfect for guests, needs something more for my palate.

Owen Daulton 10w

Substituted cassis for grenadine because it's what I had on hand- balance is good, flavors are good. Definitely leans towards a bourbon renewal with the cassis which works for me. The mint is a surprising and welcome addition, and the elderflower pushes the needle towards herbal rather than fruity or jammy. 5/5 for me.

Chris Dimal 18w

A bit too sweet for me. I did have to adjust because my grenadine is 1:1, but it still felt too sweet. Still delicious though.

Sport Murphy 18w

Expected just a nice, tangy sour. But as I sip it, it gets a lot more interesting. Flavors remain distinct, but complement each other like instruments in a chamber piece. Strange way to put it, maybe, but that's what came to mind.

Peter Pendergest Premium Member 19w

Quite delicious. A great Friday evening, just signed off from work end of week cocktail. I think next time I might dial back the mint a bit, maybe just 3 or 4 leaves.