Seelbach Cocktail

About the Seelbach Cocktail

The Seelbach Cocktail is a celebratory, effervescent drink that combines Timber Creek Florida Whiskey with Champagne, Cointreau, and two types of bitters, stirred gently and strained into a chilled coupe. Despite its sparkling wine content, the whiskey remains the flavor foundation, with Champagne adding lift and effervescence rather than replacing the spirit’s role in the drink. Because Champagne and Cointreau both bring bright, sweet notes to the glass, the whiskey needs enough presence to keep the drink from tasting like a simple sparkling cocktail. Timber Creek Florida Whiskey, produced through the distillery’s PureBlend method where each grain is distilled and aged separately before being blended by component, delivers a rounded, slightly sweet grain character that holds up well against the citrus and effervescence rather than fading into the background.

To build it, stir the whiskey, Cointreau, and both bitters with ice until well chilled, then strain into a chilled coupe. Top gently with the Champagne, stirring only briefly to combine without losing too much carbonation, and finish with an expressed orange twist for aromatic lift over the surface of the drink. This cocktail’s bright, celebratory character pairs well with dark chocolate, roasted almonds, berry tart, duck breast, and blue cheese, food rich enough to stand up to the drink’s sweetness and bitters without being overwhelmed by the Champagne’s effervescence. It is a natural choice for a toast, an anniversary, or any occasion that calls for something a little more festive than a standard whiskey cocktail.

The Seelbach Cocktail was long presented as a pre-Prohibition house drink of Louisville’s Seelbach Hotel, rediscovered in 1995. In 2016 the bartender who “rediscovered” it, Adam Seger, admitted he created both the drink and the backstory that year, so this is a modern classic with a good tale attached. As with any celebratory cocktail, pace yourself through the toasts, and make sure everyone has a safe way home lined up well before the night ends.

The Seelbach Cocktail is a celebratory, effervescent drink that combines Timber Creek Florida Whiskey with Champagne, Cointreau, and two types of bitters, stirred gently and strained into a chilled coupe. Despite its sparkling wine content, the whiskey remains the flavor foundation, with Champagne adding lift and effervescence rather than replacing the spirit’s role in the drink. Because Champagne and Cointreau both bring bright, sweet notes to the glass, the whiskey needs enough presence to keep the drink from tasting like a simple sparkling cocktail. Timber Creek Florida Whiskey, produced through the distillery’s PureBlend method where each grain is distilled and aged separately before being blended by component, delivers a rounded, slightly sweet grain character that holds up well against the citrus and effervescence rather than fading into the background.

To build it, stir the whiskey, Cointreau, and both bitters with ice until well chilled, then strain into a chilled coupe. Top gently with the Champagne, stirring only briefly to combine without losing too much carbonation, and finish with an expressed orange twist for aromatic lift over the surface of the drink. This cocktail’s bright, celebratory character pairs well with dark chocolate, roasted almonds, berry tart, duck breast, and blue cheese, food rich enough to stand up to the drink’s sweetness and bitters without being overwhelmed by the Champagne’s effervescence. It is a natural choice for a toast, an anniversary, or any occasion that calls for something a little more festive than a standard whiskey cocktail.

The Seelbach Cocktail was long presented as a pre-Prohibition house drink of Louisville’s Seelbach Hotel, rediscovered in 1995. In 2016 the bartender who “rediscovered” it, Adam Seger, admitted he created both the drink and the backstory that year, so this is a modern classic with a good tale attached. As with any celebratory cocktail, pace yourself through the toasts, and make sure everyone has a safe way home lined up well before the night ends.