Iron Ranger

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Cocktail History

The Iron Ranger is a modern tiki cocktail that was created by Erick Castro at Raised by Wolves in San Diego, California. It uses a fairly classic tiki formula but substitutes a punchy bourbon in place of the typical rum and pairs it with pineapple, citrus, velvet falernum, and bitters. This variation also adds cinnamon flavor into the mix via a homemade syrup for additional spice.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Bourbon: This is a type of whiskey made in the United States with at least 51% corn, with other grains, water, and yeast, which are distilled and then aged in new charred oak barrels to develop a rich, caramelized flavor.

Pineapple Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe pineapples that has a sweet, tangy tropical flavor and bright yellow color.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe lemons that has a sweet, tangy flavor and light yellow color.

Velvet Falernum Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with limes, almonds, cloves, ginger root, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a sweet, spiced Caribbean flavor.

Cinnamon Syrup: This is a sweetener made with cinnamon sticks, white sugar, and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a spiced, aromatic flavor.

Aromatic Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with a blend of herbs, spices, roots, and botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop an aromatic, bittersweet flavor.

Mint: This is an herb made from the leaves of the mint plant, which are harvested and used for their cool, aromatic flavor.

Cinnamon Stick: This is a spice made from dried and rolled bark of the cinnamon tree that has a warm, sweet-spicy flavor.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Chef’s Knife: This is used to cut larger fruits and vegetables into slices for the garnish. I used the OXO Good Grips 8-Inch Chef’s Knife.

Pineapple Corer: This is used to remove the core of the pineapple before it’s juiced. I used the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Pineapple Corer.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus, fruits, and vegetables. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer for the lemon and the Hamilton Beach Large Juicer for the pineapple.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Orange-brown color

• Aroma: Mint and cinnamon

• Taste: Pineapple-forward flavor accented with whiskey spices and tangy citrus

• Finish: Slight ginger and more pineapple

Kendall’s Take: “Bourbon and cinnamon are already a match made in cocktail heaven, but when you turn them tiki, you get this untraditional yet surprisingly delicious drink. I didn’t expect to love a bourbon base in a tropical recipe quite as much as I did, but the Iron Ranger is next-level. Add it to your summer rotation pronto!”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the book Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival with 60 Recipes by Chloe Frechette.