Recipes

The Seelbach

Eron Plevan

Oakroom, Louisville, KY

"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. Today, Eron Plevan, bartender at the hotel’s stately Oakroom, doesn’t veer too far from the original recipe. You don’t need to, either." —The Southerner's Cookbook

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce Old Forester bourbon
  • 1/2 ounce Cointreau
  • 4 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
  • 3 dashes Angostura bitters
  • Cold Champagne or sparkling wine
  • Long twist of orange peel

Method

In a chilled Champagne glass, stir together the bourbon, Cointreau, and both bitters. Top with Champagne and garnish with an orange twist.

Yield

1 cocktail