They say necessity is the mother of invention, and I wonder if that’s how The Mary Anne Cocktail came to be. Imagine two old friends, Mary and Anne, standing in a bar somewhere with nothing but bourbon, ginger syrup, and a surplus of limes at their disposal. They just might have poured a bit of this, a splash of that, and voila—a cocktail as bright as their spirits. Remember, if you can’t be with the cocktail you love, love the one you’re with.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Ginger Simple Syrup (recipe below)
- 2 cups Bourbon
- 2.5 cups Lime Juice (about 9 or 10 limes)
- 1 quart Ginger Ale
- Lime slices for garnish
Instructions
Combine the first three ingredients and refrigerate. To serve, fill a lowball glass with ice. Pour equal parts mix and ginger ale into the glass and stir. Garnish with a slice of lime. This recipe yields enough for 8 people to enjoy 2 to 3 drinks each (though if Mary and Anne are involved, they might not make it to the second round).
Ginger Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 3 cups Water
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1.5 cups sliced ginger
Instructions
Combine ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until all sugar dissolves. Turn off heat and cover, allowing the mixture to steep for 45 minutes. Strain through cheesecloth and let cool before using. Set the strained syrup bowl inside a larger bowl filled with ice to speed cooling. It’s like treating sugar syrup to a spa day—relaxing and invigorating all at once.