Elk’s Own
The Elk’s Own is another Whiskey Sour riff that features both a fruity flavor and stunning presentation. Although he did not create the original cocktail recipe, Anders Erickson (of social media/YouTube fame) brought the Elk’s Own into my purview having described it as a “winter Whiskey Sour” and I am inclined to agree with him. This long forgotten recipe has a familiar backbone of rye whiskey, lemon juice, and rich demerara syrup, but with the addition of ruby port. For those who are unfamiliar, port is a sweet and syrupy fortified wine produced in Portugal that is often enjoyed with dessert. There are a handful of different types of port, however, ruby port has both the aforementioned flavor and color necessary for the overall experience. Similarly, another aesthetic aspect to this cocktail is the dense foam that settles across the top, which can be attributed to the inclusion of your choice in egg white or aquafaba. No matter which you use, prior to shaking with ice, you will want to “dry shake” (shaking without ice) to allow the ingredients the ability emulsify and create that velvety layer. When it comes to garnish, Erickson sensibly updated the presentation from a clunky pineapple wedge to a simple dusting of freshly grated nutmeg; sometimes I take it even one step further with the addition of a torched sprig of rosemary. But don’t take my word for it, make one and try it for yourself!
Elk’s Own
In your shaker, combine the rich demerara syrup, lemon juice, ruby port, and rye whiskey.
0.5 oz of Rich Demerara Syrup
0.75 oz of Lemon Juice
0.75 oz of Ruby Port
1.5 oz of Rye Whiskey
0.5 oz of Egg White (or Aquafaba)
Add the egg white and perform a dry-shake (without ice) to emulsify and incorporate it into the cocktail. Next, carefully uncap your shaker, add ice and shake until it develops a frost. Strain contents into your chilled coupe glass. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
TIP(S):
Chill your cocktail glassware — to extend the life of your Elk’s Own, place your coupe cocktail glass(es) in the freezer for at least 15 minutes for them to be sufficiently. For more immediate use, you can place ice water in your coupe cocktail glass during the preparation.
