These hunting themed cocktails will have you ready to leave the stand and relax for the evening.
I'm not trying to perpetuate a stereotype, but a fair amount of folks in the hunting and outdoor community like to have a few drinks, and toasting a successful hunt is a common practice across the country. Heck, I've seen guys crack open a breakfast beer after shooting a deer at 9:00 a.m.
For those times when you really want something else to tantalize your taste buds (not because we're sick of beer, just saying), these cocktail recipes are a step above the tired Manhattan, Bloody Mary, or Old Fashioned.
Before another word, know this: Alcohol is meant for after the hunt, never before or during. When you're done for the day, and the guns and bows are back in their cases, that's when you can start mixing up some drinks.
Maybe you just need something to help you forget that big buck that just wouldn't come into shooting range. These will work for that, too.
The fact is that it doesn't even have to be hunting season; these mixed drinks are a fun way to get us in the mood, pay homage to the past or upcoming hunting season, and spark conversation at your next party. Grab some ice and gather all the ingredients, because we've compiled a list for you.
Buck Hunter
From Imbibe Magazine comes this drink credited to Derek Brown, a bartender in Washington, D.C. This mixed drink is a perfect example of how a few simple ingredients can quickly combine into a delicious punch. You're also making enough for a group, and by group we mean hunting camp.
Here are the ingredients:
- 6 oz. bourbon
- 2 1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
- 2 1/4 oz. ginger syrup
- 1 1/2 oz. water
- 4 oz. sparkling water
- 3 Dashes Angostura bitters
You'll want a large glass pitcher and a spoon big enough to mix with. Pour the finished product into tumbler glasses and garnish the drinks with a lemon wheel slice. Feel free to add or subtract to the recipe as you like to make it enjoyable for the whole cabin.
Hunter's Cocktail
Spruce Eats has shared another great idea to quench that thirst in the hunting crowd long after the day is done with the Hunter's Cocktail. Sometimes after a long day afield we don't really want to gather and mix a bunch of components, but just sit down and enjoy it.
- 1 1/2 ounces whiskey
- 1/2 ounce cherry brandy
- Maraschino cherry, for garnish
Using a low-ball glass, pour in the whisky and cherry brandy to mix. Add the garnish and enjoy.
Duck Fart Shots
As the Mom Foodie describes, "The Duck Fart is said to have been originally created at a bar called the Peanut Farm, in Anchorage, Alaska. This is why the drink also goes by the name, Alaskan Duck Fart."
Well, now that we know, we have to have one so here's how you make it:
- 1 oz Kahlua
- 1 oz Baileys Irish Cream
- 1 oz blended Whiskey
This great cocktail should be served as a layered shot. The Kahlua coffee liqueur makes the base layer, then Bailey's (or Irish Cream of your choice) as the center, with the final layer as a blended whiskey. You will need the larger, three-ounce shot glasses to have enough room for the entire drink.
Basically, you get the base layer into the glass and then use a bar spoon or whatever you have on hand to gently pour the following layers, so as not to mix them.
Iroquois Hunters Cocktail
As it's explained, a traditional Hunter's Cocktail includes a Rye, Brandy, and cherry-flavored element. It is inspired by Betsy Bulleit, an avid fox hunter of the Iroquois Hunting Club. Here are the ingredients:
- 4 Luxardo Cherries
- 1 Rosemary Sprig
- 3/4 ounce fresh Lemon Juice
- 1/2 ounce Cane Sugar Syrup
- 1-1/2 ounce Bulleit Rye
- 4 dashes Cardamom Bitters
- Ginger Ale
After adding the four cherries to a small pitcher, add the rosemary sprig and the lemon juice along with the cane sugar syrup and then muddle or mash them together. Now add the Bulleit Rye and the cardamom bitters and then top off with ice.
Then add some ginger ale to taste and then strain it all into a glass filled with more ice and garnished with a cherry.
Here's to the Hunt
While we love our cold beer, sometimes it's nice to set it aside and try out some of our favorite cocktail recipes. Just because we're finished hunting doesn't mean that the hunting trip is over. Wild turkey is good if you're hunting it or drinking it.
Classic cocktail drink recipes may come and go, but tequila and lime juice is best for the beach and not the hunting camp. That's not to say that we wouldn't enjoy it, just that we're looking for something with a little more connectivity to the woods and fields.
By now, we all have some bourbon whiskey, vermouth, martini mix, and maybe even some Jim Beam in the liquor cabinet. All of these have their place at one time or another, even a cocktail shaker, but equal parts of any libation should still come with this disclaimer: these are for after the hunt is over and best enjoyed with friends at home.
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