Wandering Rye Whisky · Recipe 42
Gold Rush Revisited
Honey and bourbon wisdom, rye-revised.
Ingredients
- 60 ml Wandering Rye Whisky
- 22 ml fresh lemon juice
- 22 ml honey syrup
- 10 ml thyme honey syrup
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
Method
Shake. Serve in a Rocks glass. Garnish with Lemon wheel + thyme sprig.
Honey syrup: 2:1 honey to warm water. Thyme honey syrup: same as honey syrup, steeped with 3 thyme sprigs.
The story
T.J. Siegel created the Gold Rush at Milk & Honey in New York around 2000 — equal parts bourbon, honey syrup, and lemon juice. Three ingredients, transformative results. It became one of the defining drinks of the early craft revival: proof that simplicity and ingredient quality were all you needed. Wandering Rye's corn whisky components make it a natural Gold Rush host — the 18-year corn brings a honey-adjacent sweetness that echoes the honey syrup. Adding thyme elevates the honey note from sweetness into complexity and places the drink squarely in spring. This is one of those drinks where the recipe requires almost no effort but the quality delivers enormously.
Tasting note
Golden and warm — this drinks like afternoon sunlight. The honey and rye blend seamlessly; the thyme adds an herbal thread that keeps the sweetness in check. Simple enough to make for a crowd without losing any of its effect.