The Twenty-3 cocktail, whose main ingredients are bourbon and a reduction of Dr. Pepper.

The Twenty-3 is a bourbon-based cocktail that is a perfect balance of sweetness, acidity, and spice.  Dr. Pepper’s professed 23 ingredients were the inspiration for this cocktail’s name.  My lead mixologist, Chris, deserves much praise for creating this yummy treat.  The cocktail itself is quite easy to make, but it does take about 45 minutes to make the Dr. Pepper reduction.

For a small get-together, I would take a liter of Dr. Pepper and reduce it over a slow boil on the stove-top, until the liquid is reduced by half.  By reducing the soda, the flavors are concentrated, the viscosity is increased, and the carbon dioxide is released.

Build the following ingredients in a pint glass, filled with ice.  Stir them with a bar-spoon about 25 stirs, and pour the contents, along with the ice, into a double old-fashioned glass.  Garnish with a lemon twist.

• 1 1/2 ounces of Buffalo Trace bourbon
• 1 1/2 ounces of Dr. Pepper reduction
• 1/2 ounce of lemon juice
• 1 bar-spoon of St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram