Tracks on the Rocks #10 - On the Blues Highway

Is the weather giving you the blues, too? Fret not, this edition of Tracks on the Rocks’s got the perfect remedy.

Join us as we embark on a road trip through the storied Blues Highway, with strategic stops along the way to discover, as per usual, three iconic tracks and their perfect cocktail counterparts.

Buckle up!

First stop, Clarksdale, Mississippi: the cradle of Blues

Mississippi Punch ft. Robert Johnson – Crossroads Blues

Combine 1 1/2 oz Bourbon whiskey, 3/4 oz cognac, 3/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 oz simple syrup and 1 1/2 oz chilled water (or sparkling water if you want a bit of fizz)in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass, garnish with a lemon wheel and serve.

Tip: for a Southern sweet tea-reminiscent take on this classic, you can replace the chilled water with cold black tea and up the simple syrup to 2/3 oz.

Nashville, Tennessee: a mecca for music and composition

Tennessee Iced Tea ft. Etta James – What’d I Say (live at the New Era Club, Nashville, 1961)

Combine 1 oz Tennessee whiskey, 1/2 oz light rum, 1/2 oz vodka, 1/2 oz triple sec, 2/3 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1/4 oz simple syrup in a shaker with ice. Strain into an ice-filled Sling glass, top with cola,garnish with a lemon slice and serve with a straw.

Chicago, Illinois: where blues and the electric guitar meet

Chicago Fizz ft. Muddy Waters – Mannish Boy

Combine 1 oz dark rum, 1 oz tawny port, 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/4 oz sugar syrup and 1/2 oz egg white or aquafaba in a shaker with ice, shake well until cold and strain back into shaker. Dry shake again with the ice removed until frothy and slowly pour 2/3rds of the mixture from high into a chilled highball glass with no ice, while simultaneously pouring 1 oz chilled soda water from a normal height with your other hand. Both liquids should fall into the glass in a single stream. To achieve a soufflé-like head of foam on your fizz, leave your cocktail to settle in the fridge or freezer for at least a minute before topping off with the last 1/3 of the mixture remaining in the shaker. Garnish with a quarter lemon wheel on the rim.

Cheers!