Glittering Gold Rush (Bourbon Champagne Cocktail)
I played with the classic gold rush cocktail to make a variation perfect for New Year’s Eve: a Glittering Gold Rush. This bourbon champagne cocktail is bright balanced, making it perfect for whiskey and non-whiskey drinkers.
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Glittering Gold Rush (Bourbon Champagne Cocktail)
This easy-to-make New Year’s Bourbon cocktail will add a little glam to your party. The bubbles mellow out the bourbon and blend beautifully with the honey syrup and orange flavors. The touch of orange blossom water is optional but adds a nice floral hint that I love.
What’s great about this Bourbon Champagne cocktail is its balance. The warming bourbon notes with the orange are delicious with the bright lemon and dry bubbles – it’s refreshing yet cozy.
Recipe Ingredients
- Bourbon: I love Brother’s Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey for its smooth, complex flavors of caramel, vanilla, and spice in this Gold Rush cocktail.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best and tastes way better than bottled in this recipe.
- Honey syrup: This is made by combining equal parts honey and warm water until smooth.
- Orange blossom water: Cortas Orange Blossom Water has the perfect floral essence. Remember, a little goes a long way, so don’t be tempted to add more.
- Gold edible glitter dust: Just a touch.
- Champagne, prosecco, or sparkling wine: The sparkling topper adds effervescence and a little dryness to balance the sweetness. Choose a brut (dry) option.
- Dehydrated orange: If you don’t have dehydrated oranges, a fresh slice or orange peel twist will work, too, in your Bourbon Champagne cocktail.
DIY Dehydrated Orange Slices
Thinly slice an orange, lay the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake at 200°F (93°C) for 2–3 hours, flipping halfway through.
Keep them in an airtight container for future use.
Tools & Equipment List
How to Make It
- Add all the ingredients, except the sparkling wine and orange garnish, into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake it until the mix has chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a coupe glass and top it up with chilled sparkling wine. Garnish and go!
Sipping Tips & FAQs
Chill the glass: Pop your glass in the freezer for a few minutes before mixing. This keeps your drink cold longer and brings out the sparkle of the edible glitter.
Balance the sweetness: If the cocktail is too sweet to you, go for an extra-dry sparkling wine. You could also add a little soda water to balance it out without losing the fizz.
Can I use regular sugar syrup instead of honey syrup?
You can technically, but you’ll miss out on the floral taste of the honey. If substituting, use rich simple syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water) for a similar texture.
Can I skip the sparkling wine?
While the sparkling wine adds effervescence, you can leave it out for a still version or replace it with soda water for a lighter, bubbly alternative.
What’s a good non-alcoholic option for the bourbon?
Replace bourbon with a non-alcoholic whiskey alternative or a mix of black tea and a splash of vanilla extract for a mocktail version of this Bourbon Champagne cocktail.
Make Ahead and Storage Notes
Get organized by making your honey syrup up to a week ahead. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep it fresh and ready for cocktail hour.
For the cocktail base, mix the bourbon, lemon juice, honey syrup, and orange blossom water in a shaker or sealed jar up to 24 hours in advance. Keep it chilling in the fridge. When ready to serve, add the edible glitter, sparkling wine, and garnish.
If you have leftover Bourbon Champagne cocktail mix (without the sparkling wine), pop it into a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Add the sparkling wine and garnish just before serving.
Keep in mind that sparkling wine loses its effervescence quickly, so add it only to individual servings rather than storing mixed cocktails.
More Festive Recipes to Try
Winter Painkiller
Citrus and spice cocktail
Hot chocolate old fashioned
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Glittering Gold Rush Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz bourbon I used Brother’s Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- 3/4 oz lemon juice
- 3/4 oz honey syrup
- 1/4 tsp orange blossom water
- Dash gold edible glitter dust
- 2 oz champagne prosecco or other sparkling wine
- Dehydrated orange for garnish
Instructions
- Add bourbon, lemon juice, honey syrup, orange blossom water, edible glitter and ice to a cocktail shaker and shake until chilled.
- Strain into a coupe glass. Top with sparkling wine. If desired, garnish with a dehydrated orange slice.
