How to Make the Kentucky Whiskey Cocktail

Some cocktails arrive with a thundering legend attached. This one arrives with a name, a printed page, and a very good idea: pair Kentucky bourbon with bright, juicy fruit and let the two get along.

The classic Kentucky Whiskey Cocktail is a fruity, vintage take on the whiskey sour, and it dates back to at least the 1930s. It turns up in Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ‘Em by Stanley Clisby Arthur. Pour yourself something amber and let me introduce you.

A Kentucky name with a New Orleans address

Here is my favorite twist. A drink named for Kentucky made its way into print in New Orleans. Stanley Clisby Arthur (1881 to 1963) was a journalist and Louisiana historian, and his 1937 book is a tour of the drinks that made his city famous. Sazerac, Vieux Carré, La Louisiane, they all have a page. Tucked among the whiskey cocktails is this sunny little bourbon number, proof that New Orleans bartenders adored Kentucky’s finest long before it was fashionable to say so.

What goes in the glass

Arthur keeps it wonderfully short. Three things: bourbon, unsweetened pineapple juice, and a lump of sugar. The sugar dissolves in the pineapple juice, then the bourbon goes in. That is the whole cast.

He adds a charming note. You could make it with rye, he says, but then you would not be privileged to call it Kentucky. Bourbon earns the name. He also mentions that some bartenders swapped in orange juice, and others used sweetened pineapple juice. The drink clearly had a loyal following with its own house variations.

Why I call it a sour

A whiskey sour has a simple logic: spirit, tangy juice, a touch of sugar. The Kentucky Whiskey Cocktail plays by those same rules. Pineapple juice brings the tang and the sweetness in one pour, so the result tastes sweet-tart and juicy rather than boozy and stern.

Bourbon is the perfect partner. Its vanilla and caramel notes sit beautifully beside ripe tropical fruit. Think of it as a sunnier cousin in the whiskey sour family, one that happens to live in a 1930s cocktail book.

The 1930s backdrop

Prohibition ended in 1933, and American bars came roaring back with fruit, juice, and a sense of play. A mid-1930s bartender’s guide, Old Mr. Boston, lists a Kentucky Cocktail built on whiskey and pineapple juice too. So the idea was clearly in the air.

That makes Arthur’s version a lovely snapshot of what people were actually drinking right after Repeal.

Arthur and the art of the good story

Cocktail historians will tell you that Arthur’s origin tales are best enjoyed as folklore. I find that makes his recipe pages even more precious. They are a record of the drinks, the garnishes, and the little house variations people loved in 1937. For anyone who writes about cocktails, that is a treasure.

Sip your way through Kentucky

If this one sparks your curiosity, here are some companions from my Kentucky shelf:

• Fall for the legend behind the Bourbon Old Fashioned.
• Try a Woodford Reserve Old Fashioned, a Kentucky distillery pour in the classic glass.
• Toast the Derby spirit with the Mint Julep.
• Explore the Kentucky Colonel, a two-ingredient bourbon classic with a Kentucky name.
• Read the tale of the Seelbach Cocktail, Louisville’s other best-told story.
• Follow the Urban Bourbon Trail through Louisville’s best bourbon bars.
• Browse more easy bourbon cocktails for your own home bar.

FAQ

What is in a Kentucky Whiskey Cocktail? In Stanley Clisby Arthur’s 1937 book, it is bourbon, unsweetened pineapple juice, and a lump of sugar dissolved in the juice.

Is the Kentucky Whiskey Cocktail a whiskey sour? It is a fruity cousin of the whiskey sour. It follows the same spirit, tangy juice, and sugar pattern, with pineapple juice in the starring role.

Can it be made with rye? Arthur says it can, but then it would not earn the Kentucky name. Bourbon is the traditional choice.

Where does the Kentucky Whiskey Cocktail come from? The earliest printed recipe I know of is in Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ‘Em, published in 1937, so the drink dates back to at least the 1930s.

Why Lush Life loves it

Because three humble ingredients and one great name can carry nearly ninety years. Sunny, juicy, and proudly bourbon, the Kentucky Whiskey Cocktail is a delight to rediscover.