Looking to summon up the courage to storm Area 51? This Old Forester cocktail from Belle’s Cocktail House in Lexington, Kentucky is the perfect marriage of bourbon and melon. Sweet and tart, with an appropriate neon green hue, the “Area 51” cocktail is much easier to make than a trip to the notorious “paranormal” military base.
This month, a Facebook event called “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us” hit a milestone 1.6 million people marked “attending.” While the creator is an admitted troll, he still has hundreds of thousands of people excited to “see them aliens.” If you can’t make it to Nevada on September 20th to join in, the Area 51 cocktail created by Natalie White will make even the non-believers feel out of this world.
“It’s basically a Midori sour with a bourbon twist,” says White of the deceptively simple drink. She uses just four ingredients to craft the sweet and tart cocktail, starting with melon liqueur to obtain the perfect neon-green hue. Then she adds Old Forester, simple syrup, and a kick of lemon juice, squeezed fresh that day by the bartenders at Belle’s. Read on for a recipe that you and your new alien bud will both love.
Area 51
1 oz Old Forester 86 proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
1 oz Midori Melon Liqueur
2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 oz simple syrup
Shake with ice and pour into highball glass. Garnish with a wheel of lemon.
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