The Clara Bow was one of the first original craft cocktails that made me want to make my own. Originally created by Rye in NYC circa 2010, the drink was listed on Serious Eats website for years. Like many cocktail recipes, it has been taken down for one reason or another, and is at risk of being lost to the sands of time.
So I urge you to help prevent that by making your own Clara Bow. Named after the original It girl, the Clara Bow is one of my favorite summer bourbon drinks, and one of the most refreshing. It’s simple, elegant, and understated while being delightfully refreshing and bright.
Clara Bow
Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a coupe. Garnish with a mint leaf.
Credit to Rye – New York City.
The Clara Bow is delightfully well balanced and refreshing, the perfect summery drink to pass the time. The mint pulls out notes of spice and chocolate from the rye portion of the Bulleit, while the grenadine and St. Germain give an almost grapefruit like character. The floral notes and hints of pomegranate sweetness give depth and a fruitiness. The lemon wakes the whole thing up, and combine with the mint, makes it almost palate cleansing.
Drink Notes & Recommendation
I had countless bartenders try to recreate this drink with different bourbons, and regular grenadine, but what I learned was there’s no substitute for homemade grenadine. You absolutely must make your own to recreate this drink.
- Bourbon – Bulleit Bourbon works best here thanks to the high rye content. You could also enter Wild Turkey 101 or another high rye bourbon.
- Grenadine – To make grenadine, combine equal parts by weight pomegranate juice and white sugar in a sauce pot. Heat until almost simmering and all the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add ½ oz of neutral spirits (vodka / overproof such as Everclear) if desired for preservation. Place in a clean bottle and store in the fridge for up to several weeks. Dispose of if any mold or haze develops.
- St. Germain – This elderflower liqueur was once the most prominent, and is still our mainstay, but there are alternatives on the market. Let us know if you have a preference in the comments!
- Lemon Juice – Use fresh squeezed for best results.
- Mint Leaves – In order to get the essential oils out of the mint leaves, you want to simply toss the leaves in without beating or bruising them. The ice will help break them up. As a result, you’ll want to double strain. Feel free to use a less comically large mint leaf than the one in our picture.