Seelbach

A sparkling Louisville original that splits the difference between a Manhattan and a Champagne cocktail: bourbon and triple sec laced with a startling fourteen dashes of bitters, lengthened with cold Champagne and an expressed orange twist. The double bitters cut sharply against the wine's effervescence for a drink that drinks far drier than it looks. Created by Adam Seger at the Seelbach Hotel in 1995, it long traveled with an invented Prohibition-era origin story that Seger finally confessed was pure fiction in 2016.

Classic

Ingredients

  • 1 ozBourbon
  • 0.5 ozTriple Sec
  • 7 dashAngostura Bitters
  • 7 dashPeychaud's Bitters
  • 5 ozChampagne(chilled)

Garnish: Orange Peel

Preparation

Built · Flute · None

  1. 1.

    build

    In a chilled flute, combine the bourbon, triple sec, Angostura bitters, and Peychaud's bitters.

  2. 2.

    top

    Top with cold Champagne and stir gently to combine.

  3. 3.

    express

    Express an orange twist over the surface.

  4. 4.

    garnish

    Drop the orange twist into the glass to garnish.

Flavor Profile

sweet
26%
fizz
25%
fruity
24%
spiced
24%
body
24%
bitter
23%