Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Rye Whiskey Cocktails

Northern Harvest Buck

By
Liquor.com
Liquor.com

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Updated 09/30/22
Northern Harvest Buck in a highball glass, garnished with a mint sprig and lemon wheel

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

The Northern Harvest Buck is a simple and refreshing update on the classic Whiskey Ginger, adding fresh lime juice and bitters to the combination of Crown Royal Northern Harvest rye whiskey and ginger beer. The name “buck” refers to a style of cocktail that contains a spirit, citrus and either ginger ale or ginger beer.

The first bucks date back to the mid-1800s and were typically spiked with whiskey, but any spirit works. If you’ve ever had a Moscow Mule (vodka), a Dark ’n Stormy (rum) or an Irish Buck (Irish whiskey), then you’re familiar with the category’s charms. Bucks are easy to make and endlessly customizable, which makes them a popular choice at home and on bar menus.

A typical Whiskey Ginger can be built right in your glass, but the Northern Harvest Buck calls for the rye and lime juice to be shaken with ice. Once the contents are strained into a highball glass, the drink is topped with Angostura bitters and chilled ginger beer. That combo gives the drink a lush golden hue. Garnish with a mint sprig and lemon wheel for additional visuals and aromatics.

After one sip, you’ll see how quaffable the cocktail is, and you may start breaking it out when friends arrive, on game days or whenever you have a patio and time to kill. But take it slow, because there’s still a full measure of whiskey in your glass.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 ounces Crown Royal Northern Harvest rye whiskey

  • 3/4 ounces lime juice, freshly squeezed

  • 3 ounces ginger beer, chilled

  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters

  • Garnish: lemon wheel

  • Garnish: mint sprig

Steps

  1. Add the rye and lime juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

  2. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice.

  3. Add the bitters, and top with the chilled ginger beer.

  4. Garnish with a lemon wheel and mint sprig.