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Loading...The Billionaire Cocktail is a spin on the Millionaire, with absinthe, bourbon, simple syrup, lemon juice, and grenadine, the latter of which gives the drink a velvety, deep-red hue. With roots stemming from Employees Only, a New York City Bar, the grenadine used in the Billionaire cocktail is traditionally a house-made version complete with real pomegranate juice. The complexity of the pomegranate adds more depth than mass-produced grenadine, which is typically sweet but heavily artificial. The Millionaire’s milkier complexion comes from egg white, while the Billionaire is sweeter and more translucent.
Bar Tools
- JIGGER
- SHAKER
- STRAINER
To serve: Coupe Glass
Ingredients
- 2 oz HIGH-PROOF BOURBON (recommended: Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon)
- 3 DASHES ABSINTHE BITTERS
- 1 oz LEMON JUICE
- ½ oz SIMPLE SYRUP
- ½ oz GRENADINE (preferably made with real pomegranate juice)
Garnish: Lemon Wheel
How to Make
To make the Billionaire cocktail, fill a shaker with ice cubes and add in bourbon, absinthe bitters, lemon juice, simple syrup, and grenadine to the shaker. Shake your cocktail and then strain its contents into a cocktail glass. To garnish your Billionaire cocktail, slice a lemon and add a slice to the glass.
Nutrition Facts & ABV
- ABV (alcohol by volume): 20%
- Calories: 220 calories
- Total carbohydrates: 19.1 grams
- Total sugar: 17.8 grams
Some spirit recipes aren’t available. As such, some nutrition content may be estimated.
History
The Billionaire cocktail is featured in the famous New York City bar, Employees Only. It was created as a play on the traditional Millionaire cocktail, opting to omit the egg white and orange liqueur found in the original, as well as substituting absinthe for the more floral and aromatic absinthe bitters. Without the added ingredients of the original cocktail, the high-proof bourbon shines through in the Billionaire, creating a “richer” cocktail, lending to its namesake.
FAQs
What type of high-proof bourbon should I use?
The original bourbon used for the Billionaire is Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon, though any higher-proof bourbon will work great here.
Can I use absinthe instead of the absinthe bitters?
If you can’t get ahold of absinthe bitters for this cocktail, you can add a light barspoon of absinthe to the cocktail instead.
Do I need to use grenadine with real pomegranate juice?
Your Billionaire cocktail will lack the natural sweetness of the Employees Only version but will still taste good. It may also be sweeter than it would be if made with a true grenadine.
