The Rhinestone Cowboy has been making the rounds lately, and it’s easy to see why. Bourbon, peach liqueur, fresh lemon juice, mint, and ginger beer make for a ridiculously easy summer drink: fruity without going overboard, refreshing, and still very much a bourbon cocktail. Of course, that just made me wonder what I could mess with.
As it so happens, the only fresh mint I had growing was chocolate mint. (My wife pruned back the regular mint to the point of there being nothing to harvest. Don’t worry – it’ll grow back. It always does.) The difference is subtle — it still tastes very much like mint — but there’s a slightly deeper, earthier (some might say “chocolatier”) note underneath that works surprisingly well with bourbon and peach.
Then I went and added a dash of Angostura bitters. That was it.
The Angostura adds a little warm spice of its own, but to my surprise, the mint suddenly popped in a way it hadn’t before, becoming much more noticeable alongside the peach, lemon, and ginger.
At that point, I stopped messing with it, because sometimes you need to know when you’ve won.
How It Tastes
The Rhinestone Wrangler starts bright and peachy, with Wild Turkey 101 providing plenty of bourbon backbone underneath. At 101 proof, it doesn’t hide behind the peach liqueur and ginger beer, while its vanilla, caramel and baking-spice notes fit naturally with the fruit and Angostura. Fresh lemon keeps the sweetness in check while ginger beer adds spice, bubbles, and a little bite.
The chocolate mint is subtle on its own, but the dash of Angostura pulls its herbal character forward while adding just enough baking spice to tie everything together.
It’s refreshing enough for August, bourbon-forward enough to belong here, and, man — dangerously easy to drink.
Notes & Fine Tuning
Chocolate mint: Regular mint will absolutely work, but then you’re essentially heading back toward the original Rhinestone Cowboy. Chocolate mint has a slightly deeper character that works particularly well with the bitters.
Angostura: One dash is enough. The goal isn’t to make this an Angostura-heavy cocktail; it’s there to accent the bourbon and bring the mint forward.
Ginger beer: Use one with some actual ginger bite, like Fever Tree. A sweeter, softer ginger beer will push the peach forward and make the finished drink sweeter.
Peach liqueur: Brands vary considerably in sweetness and intensity, so this is the ingredient I’d adjust first if the drink seems too sweet or too peach-forward. I used Mathilde Liqueur Peche, which hit just right.
Don’t overthink it: I tried the chocolate mint. I tried the Angostura. They worked. I stopped. I’d like to think that’s personal growth.
The Rhinestone Wrangler
1
servings5
minutes5
minutesA twist on the Rhinestone Cowboy with bourbon, peach liqueur, chocolate mint, lemon, Angostura bitters, and ginger beer.
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Ingredients
2 ounces 2 Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
3/4 ounce 3/4 Mathilde Liqueur Peche
3/4 ounce 3/4 Fresh Lemon Juice
10-12 10-12 Chocolate mint leaves
1 Dash 1 Angostura Bitters
Fever Tree Ginger Beer (to top)
Lemon peel for garnish
Directions
- Add mint leaves and lemon juice to shaker, and muddle gently
- Add bourbon, Angostura, and peach liqueur to shaker
- Add ice and shake until well chilled
- Double-strain into a Collins glass with fresh ice
- Top with ginger beer, express lemon peel and garnish
Equipment
Cobbler ShakerCobbler Shaker
Extra-Long MuddlerBuy From A Bar Above
Silicone Bar MatBuy From A Bar Above
Stainless Bell JiggerBuy From A Bar Above
Stainless Boston ShakerBuy From A Bar Above
Stainless Fine Mesh StrainerBuy From A Bar Above
Stainless Hawthorne StrainerBuy From A Bar Above
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