Dana McMahan

Special to the CJ

Louisville restaurants and bars are celebrating the 90th birthday of Ale-8-One with cocktails featuring the popular ginger citrus soft drink.

The soda has been made in Winchester, Ky., by the same family since 1906, when founder G.L. Wainscott branched out from flavored seltzers and cola to make a drink inspired by his visits to northern Europe where he enjoyed ginger beer, according to the company's president Ellen McGeeney.

Eleven local restaurants are celebrating with special cocktails. Or, you can make them at home with these recipes below.

“Soft Shock” at Butchertown Grocery

2 ounces Plantation Original Dark Rum

½ ounce Chili-Lime Shrub

¼ ounce Orgeat

¼ ounce Angostura bitters

Top with Ale-8

2-3 dashes Copper & Kings Absinthe

Flammed Lemon peel garnish

Combine rum, shrub orgeat and bitters in a shaker. Mix. Pour over ice in a rocks glass. Top with Ale-8 Copper & Kings absinthe and flamed lemon peel for garnish.

“Improved Bourbon & Ginger Ale” at Lilly's Bistro

2 ounces Maker’s Mark bourbon

1 teaspoon Ale-8-One rich syrup

Dash Regan No. 6 orange bitters

Dash Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

Rinse Copper & Kings Absinthe Blanche

Stir all ingredients with ice and strain over fresh ice sphere in a chilled old fashioned glass, rinsed with absinthe. Garnish flamed orange peel.

"A Late Flower" at Brasserie Provence

1 ½ ounce Pinnacle Vodka

½ ounce Elderflower liqueur

1 ounce pink grapefruit juice

Dash peach bitters

Ale-8-One

Dash of grenadine

Grapefruit twist for garnish

Combine vodka, liqueur, grapefruit juice and bitters into a shaker. Mix and strain in a martini glass. Add Ale-8-One, grenadine, and garnish with grapefruit twist.

“Ale-8 Kentucky Buck” at Noosh Nosh

2 ounces bourbon of choice

½ ounce lemon juice

1 ounce Ale-8-One

Dash of bitters

2 strawberries (1 for garnish)

Mint

Muddle the strawberries (reserving 1 for garnish) and mint in a shaker. Add bourbon, lemon juice and bitters. Shake and strain into a copper cup full of ice. Top with Ale-8-One. Garnish with strawberry and mint.

“Kentucky Dreamer” at Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse & Raw Bar



1 ½ ounces Jim Beam Honey

½ ounce Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur

½ ounce House-made Ginger Syrup

½ ounce Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

Ale-8-One for topping off



In a small shaker tin, combine first four ingredients with ice. Shake, strain into Collins glass with fresh ice. Top with Ale-8.