A Gold Rush Cocktail uses bourbon, honey, and lemon juice to make a smooth, simple, and easy to make cocktail!

How have I not shared a bourbon cocktail on the blog before now?
Hopefully you’re familiar with my buttery bourbon cherry cookies, which are basically a cocktail disguised as a cookie. However, despite my deep love for bourbon I haven’t used it for any cocktails on the blog.
Maybe it’s because the bottle is always empty? Shhhh.
I thought this would be a lovely cocktail for New Year’s Eve because the holiday always brings up images of silver and gold. Everyone is celebrating, throwing around glitter and confetti, and you deserve a golden drink in your hand after a hard year.
The only thing better than a fancy sounding cocktail is one that is insanely easy to make. You only need three ingredients and maybe five minutes to throw this together. Watch the video and you’ll see that I didn’t even pull out my cocktail shaker, I just used a mason jar to shake everything up!

What is in a Gold Rush Cocktail?
This simple cocktail is made from three ingredients:
- Bourbon
- Lemon Juice
- Honey Syrup
The honey syrup is a combination of honey and water in order to allow the honey to be easily mixed into the cocktail. You can combine the honey and water in any ratio you prefer, but I like two parts honey to one part water.
Tips for customizing
- Swap the honey syrup for ginger liqueur
- Shake with ice in a cocktail shaker for an extra cold cocktail
- Experiment with other types of whiskey
- Multiply by how many people you’d like to serve to prepare a gold rush pitcher for a party
More cocktail recipes
If you make this recipe be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!

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Recipe

Gold Rush Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 ounces bourbon
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ ounce honey syrup, (see notes)
Instructions
- Pour all ingredients in a small mason jar or cocktail shaker, cover, and shake to mix. Pour over one large or a 2-3 normal sized ice cubes in a rocks glass.
Charlie says
Good idea! I’ll give it a go tomorrow night, thank you.
Annette says
Great recipe and loved the video using a mason jar. I tested it out Sunday night and made for friends New Year’s Eve. Good for both men and women’s tastes Thank you!
Lindsay Moe says
I agree that it’s great for everyone, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Gloria Tartaro says
Hi I plan on making this tomorrow…. just wondering if you think it would be good with ORANGE instead of lemon? Crazy idea. Thanks for the great recipe.
Lindsay Moe says
I think orange is a great idea! I have added orange bitters to this drink before. It might have a stronger flavor, so maybe start with a little and add more to taste. Let me know how it is!
Sharlee says
Really good! Definitely a keeper!