Cameron’s Kick first appears in the early 1920’s and, if you’ll believe this, promptly leaves out exactly who Cameron is or why the drink bears that name. Instead, the author Harry McElhone elaborates on the fact that the orgeat syrup in this case must be made with almonds. Having tried the cocktail both with syrups containing almond, and those that do not, we can say he’s right, although we do wish he might have been able to elaborate a bit more on the drink’s construction. This is as this particular cocktail is decidedly unusual for the time period, featuring a split base of both Irish and Scotch Whiskey.
Cameron’s Kick
Cameron’s Kick pulls in the nuttiness of the orgeat – but despite a half an ounce it isn’t super sweet. The cereal and grain notes from the whiskeys pull it in and they catch up on the backside with a fruitiness that starts kind of pome fruit but moves into that cherry-almond sweetness before ending with a hint of smokiness on the finish. The uniqueness is pleasant, balanced, and refreshing.
Drink Notes & Recommendations
We made an inordinate number of Cameron’s Kicks in testing the impact of multiple different orgeat syrups. Having done so, we can attest that while the kick is primarily determined by the whiskey you choose, the choice of orgeat ends up dictacting a lot of how the drink stitches together. As said, for best results, use something made with actual almonds.
- Irish Whiskey – We really liked something a bit more elegant here, a task that Knappogue Castle pulled off in a stellar fashion. You could also use something a bit bigger for a kick, but floral and fruit notes play wonderfully with the orgeat.
- Scotch Whiskey – While Great King St. Artist’s Blend was lovely and offered a good amount more apple, grain, caramel, and a hint of smoke, we really loved Glenlivet 12. The addition of the pineapple and vanilla notes really sing here. Really, the choice of scotch here is all personal preference, but there’s very little room for it to hide in this drink. Experiment to find what works best for you (like adding a bit of smokiness with a big Islay)
- Orgeat – We tried everything from Fee Brothers to Small Hand Foods orgeats and found a surprising amount of variation. We can – with some confidence, inform you that you should completely avoid Fee Brothers Orgeat here. It’s artificial tasting, and rather unpleasant. The best in our testing were Ferrera Orgeat and Small Hand Foods. While Small Hand is more expensive, there’s a true nuttiness here (although it is more subtle). Ferrara also includes real almonds, but has a slightly cherry like artificial note that flirts around the edges. However, you get more Ferrera (almost triple) for about half the cost of Small Hands.
- Lemon Juice – Use fresh squeezed for best results.
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