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.

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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, grains, malted barley, and water. I used Wild Turkey 101 Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 

Pineapple Juice: This is the liquid juice of a pineapple. I used fresh pineapple juice.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. I used freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Velvet Falernum Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with ginger, lime, almond, cloves, sugar, and alcohol.

Cinnamon Syrup: This is a sweetener made with cinnamon sticks, white sugar, gum arabic powder, saline solution, and water. I made mine using this sous vide recipe.

Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Angostura Aromatic Bitters.

Mint Sprig: This is an herb. I used Mojito mint.

Cinnamon Stick: This is a dried spice that has been rolled into a stick. I used Simply Organic Cinnamon Sticks.

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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.

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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 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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!"

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Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Easy Tiki: A Modern Revival with 60 Recipes by Chloe Frechette.