Horsefeather
![A horsefeather cocktail in a glass with a lemon slice.](https://assets.epicurious.com/photos/643d5b8e6cb83ee542c1101a/1:1/w_2560%2Cc_limit/HorsefeatherCocktail_RECIPE_041223_51335.jpg)
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Active Time
3 minutes
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Total Time
3 minutes
If you shimmy up to a bar and order a Horsefeather, you’ll likely get a strange look instead of a drink. Unless, of course, you’re in Kansas City, Missouri, where it’s considered a classic cocktail.
Made withrye whiskey、姜汁啤酒和一个沉重的剂量的Angostura请rs, the Horsefeather is a Midwestern take on the family of gingery drinks with equine-inspired names. Because it calls for rye, it more closely resembles a bourbon-based Kentucky Mule than aMoscow Mule, and it’s far more piquant than theHorse’s Neck, which combines brandy or bourbon with ginger ale. While the earliest origins of this drink remain a mystery, its history as a regional phenomenoncan be traced back to the early 1990s in Lawrence, Kansas, a college town about 40 miles west of Kansas City.
When mixing up a Horsefeather, I reach for either Old Overholt Rye or the blended Rieger’s Kansas City Whiskey. Most recipes you’ll find online suggest using 1½ oz. of rye and 4 oz. of ginger beer—and eyeballing your pours certainly won’t ruin your drink—but I prefer a 1:2 ratio so the rye doesn’t get completely masked by the spicy ginger. Speaking of, when selecting a ginger beer, opt for brands with intense flavor likeGosling’s,Fentimans, orCock’n Bull. And whatever you do, don’t substitute it with ginger ale. This drink is supposed to have a kick. Giddyup!
Ingredients
Makes 1
Combine4 oz. spicy ginger beerand2 oz. rye whiskeyin a Collins or other tall cocktail glass (adding the soda first will promote mixing). Stir just enough to incorporate, then fill glass with ice. Top with5 dashes Angostura bittersand a squeeze of lemon juice from1lemon wedge. Garnish with the lemon wedge.