Filibuster

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Cocktail History

The Filibuster is a fall cocktail that was created by Erik Adkins at The Slanted Door in San Francisco, California. It is a simple variation of the classic Whiskey Sour that still uses a spicy whiskey for the base, lemon for balance, and egg white for texture, but it swaps out the simple syrup for maple syrup to add an autumn-inspired twist.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Rye: This is the base spirit. It’s a type of whiskey made from at least 51% rye grain. We used with 45th Parallel Distillery New Richmond Rye because it’s a nicely spiced whiskey. For a mocktail version of this drink, try The Gospel Responsible Rye Non-Alcoholic Whiskey in place of the whiskey.

Lemon Juice: This adds sweet and sour citrus flavors for balance. We prefer to use fresh citrus juice because it’s less bitter than the bottled stuff and tastes better.

Maple Syrup: This adds all of the drink’s maple flavor. We used a locally made maple syrup from the grocery store.

Egg White: This helps to soften the more intense flavors. It also adds body and a rich, silky smooth texture to the drink.

Angostura Aromatic Bitters: This is a type of spirit infused with botanicals. They add more spice and complexity to the drink and tie the other flavors together. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the bitters.

Tasting Notes

The Filibuster starts with warming allspice and rye aromas, has a lemon-balanced flavor featuring the dark sweetness of maple alongside the slight rye whiskey heat, and ends with an aftertaste that has a lingering tart maple finish.

Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Both of us thought this drink was very tasty! Its components don’t leave much to the imagination, and it doesn’t hide any surprises, so it really is a great fall cocktail that anyone is bound to enjoy.

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Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This simple whiskey sour riff is quite delicious, and kudos to the person who “discovered” it first; its flavor combination is a no-brainer in the sense that countless people have probably made it over the years without even thinking to give it a name. The maple plays well with the whiskey in the same way that it does in a maple old fashioned, with lemon adding an airiness and supporting tart flavor, meanwhile the egg white tops the drink with a gorgeous foam. The bitters are worth mentioning as well, since the aroma and presentation they offer here go so much further than a few simple dashes in the drink would go.”

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Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This cocktail is really straightforward and tasted exactly as I expected it would. The whiskey is there, and it’s a little sour thanks to the lemon with a touch of maple coming through thanks to the syrup. There wasn’t anything I didn’t like about it because overall it is quite tasty, but there are some other autumn-inspired whiskey cocktails that I love a lot more. I’ll probably choose those over this one, but this is great if you’re just getting used to whiskey drinks as the weather turns chillier!”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.

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The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks with 150 Recipes

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AuthorThe Essential Cocktail Book

Make It a Mocktail: Use The Gospel Responsible Rye Non-Alcoholic Whiskey in place of the rye and All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the bitters to try a booze-free version of this drink.

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More Rye Cocktails

If you like this rye-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that are similar that you may enjoy:

Brooklyn: A rye cocktail made with dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and Amer Picon

American Trilogy: A rye and apple brandy cocktail made with brown sugar syrup, orange bitters, and an orange peel

Midnight Stinger: A rye cocktail made with Fernet-Branca, lemon juice, simple syrup, and mint

Falling Leaves: A rye cocktail made with Amaro Montenegro, toasted fig syrup, chocolate bitters, and an orange slice

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