The Press Luxe
TRB presents a drink that evolved in our our own kitchens.
Greetings Reluctant Bartenders!
Today we're going to talk about one of our favorite drinks, the Press Luxe. The drink is simple and easy to prepare, is nicely bubbly, and goes down on the smooth and easy side of the cocktail ledger.
Difficulty: Super Easy
Ingredients: Rye or bourbon, ginger ale, seltzer, bitters, Luxardo cherries
Gear needed: rocks glass, bar spoon, ice
Countdown to enjoyment: 2 minutes
Ingredients:
1.5 ounces Old Forester bourbon (or bourbon/rye of your choice)
Two dashes of bitters
Ginger ale (use sugar free ginger ale for a low-cal version)
Seltzer
1 Luxardo cherry
1/2 bar spoon of Luxardo cherry syrup
History and Overview
It feels odd to write about the history of the Press Luxe. There isn’t a lot of history to be told. Perhaps that’s exactly why so many of those old cocktails that we explore here don’t have a clear history? Were they inventions born of necessity, or purposeful artistic creation? Both? In some instances we can trace a drink’s origin to a specific bar or mixologist—or at least, to those who claim to have invented it. In many other instances, these drinks manifest seemingly from nowhere, take up residence in a heretofore empty niche along the cocktail continuum, and sink into their surroundings as if they had been there the whole time, and we simply failed to notice.
The Press Luxe evolved in our own kitchen as a sort of cocktail shorthand, one whose existence is owed to the ingredients at hand, the lack of time to make a proper Manhattan or Old Fashioned, and whose guiding principle was first and foremost, expediency.
The Press Luxe is essentially a riff on an old cocktail called the Presbyterian. Cocktail historians assert that the Presbyterian was originally known as the Mamie Taylor, a drink named after the singer who was famous around the turn of the 20th century. The Mamie Taylor remained a popular drink up until Prohibition, and was originally served as a long drink—that is, served in a highball glass. Our version uses a standard rocks glass.
Our research was unable to confirm the assertion that the Presbyterian was, in fact, the same drink as the original Mamie Taylor. It appears the story of these drinks is obscured by time—cocktail histories as long forgotten as Mamie herself.
Sorry, Mames--it happens to the best of us.
While no one is sure where or when the Presbyterian picked up its moniker, cocktail historians do believe it is closely related to the Mule family of drinks—the Moscow Mule, Kentucky Mule, and so on. The Presbyterian included spirit (usually whiskey), citrus, club soda, and ginger ale or ginger beer.
The recipe presented here is one that developed over time in our kitchen in South Boston. We don't claim to have invented anything particularly new—we’re standing on the shoulders of the Presbyterian. Our recipe forgoes the citrus juice and adds a few shakes of bitters to bring spicy interest back into the proceedings. A Luxardo cherry is added for fun, and a half bar spoon of Luxardo cherry syrup rounds things out.
Since the Presbyterian was the inspiration and Luxardo cherry and syrup were added later, we started calling the resultant libation a Press Luxe to honor both the original drink and the garnish that embellishes it.
Making the Press Luxe
Here at The Reluctant Bartender, we are a big fans of cocktails made directly in the glass. This makes the preparation of the cocktail and the resulting clean-up a whole lot easier. Ever have one of those days at work? You know the kind that I'm talking about—the kind of day where the rats win all the rat races? The kind of day when you just want a cocktail, but don't feel like dragging out the jiggers, shakers, strainers, and more? The Press Luxe is perfect tonic for those with the rat-race ailment. Or those of us who simply want a good stiff drink and don’t want to put in a ton of effort.
You probably have all the ingredients on hand already, especially if you've done some shopping from The Reluctant Bartender recommendations lists.
We suggest using a decent bourbon or rye, in this instance Old Forester 86—a classic American bourbon that is both a fine sipper and a great mixer. (Bulleit Rye is also good in a Press Luxe, and if you really want to add some kick consider Wild Turkey 101 or Evan Williams white label, Bottled in Bond 100 proof.)1
Regarding bitters, you have many options. In warmer months, we opt for classic Angostura bitters. When we make this drink in cold months, we prefer to use Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters.2 The barrel aged bitters add a cinnamon spiciness that is perfect for colder weather, especially around the holidays. But there are no rules here! Try the barrel aged bitters in summertime—it may be just the kick you're looking for to beat the heat.
We generally make the Press Luxe with good old off-the-shelf ginger ale, but you can experiment by substituting your favorite brand of ginger beer. Should you go the ginger beer route, make sure the flavor of your bitters and your ginger beer mesh well together—ginger beer is more heavily spiced than ginger ale, and you don't want the two ingredients to clash.
We recommend ginger ale in the 7.5 oz. or 12 oz. cans as opposed to the 2-liter bottles, because they are easier to handle—we're going to be pouring them both at once. Throw a carton of canned seltzer in your cart for use with this recipe and other fizzy drinks we'll explore here at TRB.
One quick note: we often make this drink with sugar-free ginger ale to keep the calories low. It's one of the few cocktails where you can substitute sugar-free ingredients, lower the caloric content, and not miss much in terms of flavor.
Directions:
While we advocate for making good cocktails the proper way, we are not going to treat the Press Luxe as particularly precious. The spirit of the cocktail—and indeed, this very newsletter—is simplicity. Grab a rocks glass and your bar spoon, and let's get started on making your first Press Luxe!
The first time you make this, you may want to use a measuring jigger. Load up your rocks glass with ice, and pour the 1.5 ounces of whiskey over the ice. Make a mental note how far up the side of the glass the whiskey comes to when the glass is filled with ice. From here out, you won’t need a jigger when making the Press Luxe. That is, unless you drink too many and forget, which is a thing that could happen. Not that it’s happened to us! Never. Drink responsibly and all that.
Ingredients:
1.5 ounces Old Forester bourbon (or bourbon/rye of your choice)
Two dashes of bitters
Ginger ale (use sugar free ginger ale for a low-cal version)
Seltzer
1 Luxardo cherry
1/2 bar spoon of Luxardo cherry syrup
Fresh, regular ice
Prep your cocktail:
Fetch a rocks glass.
Fill your rocks glass with ice.
Pour 1.5 oz. of bourbon over the ice and add two shakes of bitters.
Crack open a can of your chosen ginger ale, and a can of seltzer.
At once, with a can in each hand, pour both ingredients into glass at once, mixing all ingredients together.
Garnish with a single Luxardo cherry, and drizzle 1/2 bar spoon of the syrup on top of the drink.
Use your barspoon to give the drink a twirl or two.
Enjoy!
That’s all there is to it. The Press Luxe: simplicity in a glass. Until next time, enjoy!
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Bourbon and ginger with a splash of bitters has been a go-to for a crisp Fall day for years. The sweetness of the ginger ale put a cap on the number I was willing to drink at any one time. Cutting that with seltzer is something I haven't thought of. Hmm. That could be problematic! ;-)