Happy Hour: Catcher in the Rye

Ben and I went out to eat the other night at an awesome Portuguese restaurant and bar in SE Portland and found a drink on the menu that sounded delicious and we had the ingredients at home. That doesn't happen very often with the weird mixtures that we find around town, so we were overjoyed. They'd titled it "A Winter Walk" at the bar, but the literary lady in me decided we'd not only steal it but rename it "The Catcher in the Rye." And so this citrusy delight was born and I'm sharing the easy cocktail on the blog below. Read on for lip-puckering deliciousness.

You'll need:

Juice from one small orange

Juice from one lemon

1 shot Bulleit rye

1-2 tsps maple syrup

Juice an orange and lemon, mixing the two together after straining for seeds and pulp. You can use orange and lemon juice from a carton, but it's much more tasty to use fresh fruit. Drizzle 1-2 tsps of maple syrup in a highball glass, add the juice, and 1 shot of Bulleit rye or any rye of your choice, and add a large ice cube (we use the Tovolo molds that are thick enough to melt much slower than regular cubes). Enjoy!

Note: I like my drinks a bit weaker, for a stronger cocktail use two shots of rye. Similarly, for a sweeter cocktail increase your amount of maple syrup!