Bull and Bear
Bourbon, orange curaçao, lime and grenadine, shaken. A 1930s Wall Street cocktail from the Old Mr. Boston guide — a bourbon Margarita's idea before the Margarita, fruity and tart.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a coupe.
Add the bourbon, curaçao, lime juice and grenadine to a shaker.
Fill with ice and shake hard for 12 seconds.
Double strain into the chilled coupe and garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.
A thoughtful finish
- A dry orange curaçao; a sweet one needs the lime increased.
- A dash of grenadine for colour, not a measure.
- Serve it on the rocks for a longer drink.
Common mistakes
- Too much grenadine.
- Bottled lime.
- A sweet, low-proof triple sec.
A few good questions.
What does a Bull and Bear taste like?
Bourbon with orange, lime and a hint of pomegranate — a bourbon Margarita with a Wall Street name.
Where is it from?
The Old Mr. Boston guide, 1935.
Why the name?
The stock market's bull and bear, named just after the 1929 Crash.
Lime or lemon?
Lime is the original; lemon makes it closer to a Bourbon Sidecar.
Variations
- Bourbon Sidecar — Bourbon, orange liqueur and lemon.
- Margarita — Tequila, orange liqueur and lime.
- Black Rose — Bourbon, grenadine and bitters.
- Ward Eight — Rye, lemon, orange and grenadine.
Where it comes from
c. 1935 · New York
The Bull and Bear is in the Old Mr. Boston Bartender’s Guide of 1935 — bourbon with orange curaçao, lime juice and a dash of grenadine, shaken, with a cherry and an orange slice — named for the stock market’s two animals in the years just after the Crash, when the joke was bitter. It is a whiskey sour with curaçao for the sugar and lime for the lemon, which is the Margarita’s formula on bourbon a decade before the Margarita, and the grenadine is a dash for colour. It is a brighter, fruitier drink than most bourbon sours and a good one for a bourbon that is a little rough. A dry curaçao keeps it from going sweet.
Sources
- Old Mr. Boston De Luxe Official Bartender's Guide, 1935 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Bull and Bear, 2012 (reference)
- Liquor.com, Bull and Bear, 2019 (reference)
Strength. About 2 US standard drinks at an estimated 27.2% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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