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A classic bourbon cocktail from the time of old Hollywood in Los Angeles, the Brown Derby is a three ingredient drink made with bourbon whisky, honey syrup, and fresh grapefruit. It’s an easy, citrusy cocktail made with simple ingredients.

Glasses of brown derby cocktail garnished with grapefruit.

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Ingredients
How to Make a Brown Derby Cocktail
Make Homemade Honey Syrup
Garnishing a Brown Derby Cocktail
Recipe Tips
More Bourbon Whiskey Cocktail Recipes
What to Serve with Brown Derby Cocktails
Print the Recipe Card
Brown Derby Cocktail (Bourbon and Grapefruit)

Nowadays, we associate the term derby with the horse race in Kentucky and its famous mint julep cocktail. But this brown derby has nothing to do with horses!

While there is some debate, the consensus seems to be that the classic brown derby cocktail was created in the 1930s at the Brown Derby, a California restaurant chain made famous in part due to its ability to attract film stars during Hollywood's Golden Age. The restaurant itself was shaped like a brown derby hat, hence the brown derby cocktail. (Check out the pictures!)

Most classic cocktails, like an Old Fashioned or Brandy Manhattan, are made with a few ingredients and easily found ingredients. Their beauty is in their simplicity, and this Brown Derby recipe is no exception. Freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, sweet honey syrup (easily made it home), and your favorite bourbon whisky come together for a delicious sip.

Ingredients

Bourbon - Choose your favorite for this recipe. I like Four Roses or Angel's Envy for my cocktail, but Woodford Reserve or Maker's Mark would also be delicious choices.
Honey Syrup - Made with equal parts honey and hot water, honey simple syrup is easy to make at home. Visit my honey simple syrup recipe page for instructions.
Fresh Grapefruit - Either a white grapefruit or red grapefruit will work for this recipe, though the pink grapefruit juice from a red grapefruit tends to be sweeter. If you choose white grapefruit you may need to increase the honey syrup by a little bit.

How to Make a Brown Derby Cocktail

A hand pouring bourbon into a cocktail shaker.

Add bourbon, fresh grapefruit juice and honey syrup to a cocktail shaker.

Ice being poured from a scoop into a cocktail shaker.

Add ice cubes.

Shake well (for about 10 seconds).

A hand pouring cocktail into a coupe glass.

Strain into a coupe glass or martini glass.

Garnish with a small slice of grapefruit.

Sip and enjoy!

Make Homemade Honey Syrup

Honey syrup is easy to make at home in a matter of minutes, and using only honey and water. For instructions on making honey syrup in the microwave or on the stove top, visit my honey syrup recipe page.

Want more recipes using honey syrup? Try a Bee’s Knees, Lavender Bee's Knees, or Honey Orange Gin cocktail.

Garnishing a Brown Derby Cocktail

A small, thin slice of fresh grapefruit or a grapefruit twist (a twist of grapefruit peel) are both easy garnish options for this cocktail.

A slice of grapefruit garnishing a glass of brown derby cocktail.

Recipe Tips

You may need to adjust the amount of honey syrup in the drink if it's too tart for your tastes. The sweetness of the drink will be slightly inconsistent due to the tartness of the individual grapefruit used.
Make it a Maple Brown Derby by substituting 100% real maple syrup for the honey syrup.

More Bourbon Whiskey Cocktail Recipes

Looking for more delicious drink recipes using bourbon? My Grapefruit Brown Sugar cocktail is a variation on a Brown Derby cocktail. Or try a classic Old Fashioned or this light and fizzy Bourbon Ginger cocktail made with ginger beer.