Horse’s Neck

Start at the stem end of a whole lemon with a sharp vegetable peeler or a channel knife, and turn the fruit rather than the blade, working down in a spiral about a centimeter wide. Go slowly and stay shallow. Hit the white pith and the strip tears.

It does, and it is most of the reason this drink has a name. The oils in the peel sit right under your nose with every sip, so you smell lemon before you taste bourbon. The strip also leaks a faint bitterness into the glass as it soaks.

Older recipes go both ways. Without them you have a plain highball with a good garnish. Two or three dashes of Angostura give the ginger ale a spine and stop the whole thing from reading as sweet. It is the better drink with them.

Yes, and in some bars that is the older habit. Cognac and ginger ale runs rounder and a little grapey where bourbon is sweet and woody. The lemon does the same job either way. Rye also works and gives the driest version of the three.

A classic Horse’s Neck calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Bourbon, 120 ml (4 oz) Ginger ale, 2 dashes Angostura Angostura bitters. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

A standard Horse’s Neck is roughly 12% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it about as strong as a glass of wine.

A Horse’s Neck is built directly in the glass over ice — no shaker required. Add the ingredients in order and give it a brief, gentle stir.