Every bartender has the drink they're proudest of. Mine is A Brother's Blessing, the cocktail that won the 2023 Brother's Bond Bourbon Thanksgiving Cocktail Challenge.
Brother's Bond Bourbon was started by The Vampire Diaries stars Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, who play brothers Damon and Stefan Salvatore on the show. When they hosted their Thanksgiving cocktail competition, I (Rochelle Jones of The Boozy Mermaid) won with this recipe, and I got to chat with Ian and Paul about it on Instagram Live. It's still one of my favorite moments behind the bar. It's also still one of my favorite holiday cocktails, and I always keep a bottle of Brother's Bond on my home bar. These guys know their bourbon: it's award-winning, and there are now five to choose from. Don't sleep on the rye, but honestly, I've enjoyed them all.
Watch the reel: I make the cocktail first, then chat with Ian and Paul. See it on Instagram (@drinkwithrochelle).
What Is A Brother's Blessing?
It's my holiday twist on two classics. Think of it as a bourbon whiskey sour crossed with a sidecar: smooth bourbon, bright lemon and Cointreau, sweetened with a homemade spiced cranberry syrup that tastes like Thanksgiving in a glass. Tart, warm, cozy and gorgeous on the table.
What You'll Need
Cocktail shaker (or a mason jar with a tight lid). Ours are made by hand in Charleston.
Hawthorne strainer, plus a fine-mesh strainer
A coupe glass (served up) or a rocks glass with one large ice cube
A Brother's Blessing Ingredients
2 oz Brother's Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey
1 oz fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz spiced cranberry syrup (recipe below)
Lemon twist and Luxardo cherries, for garnish
How to Make It
Chill your glass. Fill a coupe or rocks glass with ice and water while you build the drink. Dump it right before you strain.
Combine. Add the lemon juice, spiced cranberry syrup, Cointreau and bourbon to your shaker. (Spirits go in last, so a mispoured juice doesn't waste your good bourbon.)
Ice and shake. Fill the shaker to the brim with fresh ice, seal it tight and shake hard for 12 to 15 seconds, until the tin is frosted and freezing cold.
Strain. Double-strain into your glass with a Hawthorne strainer and a fine-mesh strainer to catch ice shards and pulp. Serve up in the coupe, or over one large cube in a rocks glass.
Garnish. Express a lemon twist over the top to release the oils, drop it in, and rest one or two Luxardo cherries on a pick across the rim.
Spiced Cranberry Syrup
1 cup tart unsweetened cranberry juice
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 whole clove
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Add everything to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let it cool for 1 hour.
Strain out the spices and pour into an airtight container.
Keep it in the fridge and use what you need.
This syrup works in all kinds of cocktails and mocktails: try it in my Christmas Margarita, a Christmas mimosa, a holiday spritz, or just topped with soda water.
Make it ahead: the syrup keeps for 3 weeks, so make it this weekend and you're set for Thanksgiving. And three years later, I've perfected an upgraded version with tart cherry and pomegranate. That recipe (and three Christmas cocktails made with Brother's Bond) is coming soon.
Bourbon Whiskey Sour vs. Bourbon Sidecar
A classic bourbon whiskey sour is bourbon, lemon and simple syrup (often with egg white). A sidecar is brandy, Cointreau and lemon. A Brother's Blessing borrows the bourbon from the sour and the Cointreau from the sidecar, then swaps the simple syrup for spiced cranberry. Want it silkier? Add an egg white and dry shake (no ice) first.
Make a Batch for Thanksgiving (serves 8)
Stir together 2 cups bourbon, 1 cup fresh lemon juice, 3/4 cup Cointreau and 3/4 cup spiced cranberry syrup. Chill, then shake individual portions with ice, or pour over big cubes and garnish.
More Thanksgiving and Holiday Cocktails
Hosting a crowd? Try my Big-Batch Bourbon Apple Cider Punch and 10 Thanksgiving cocktails, or my Bourbon Pumpkin Espresso Martini, also made with Brother's Bond.
Shake It Like a Pro
Our handcrafted cocktail shakers are made in Charleston, SC and designed by a professional bartender.
Clear ice by @clearcutcubes.