Revolver
A sweet and coffee whiskey cocktail ∙ Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 30.3% ABV ∙
The Revolver is a stirred bourbon cocktail with coffee liqueur and orange bitters, in effect a Manhattan with coffee liqueur in place of the vermouth.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Bourbon 60 mlCrème de Café liqueur 15 mlSugar syrup 5 ml (opt.)Orange bitters 3 dashes
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Flame an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Stir over ice for about 30 seconds, until well chilled and diluted, then fine-strain so no ice shards end up in the glass.
History
The Revolver is a modern cocktail created in 2004 by San Francisco bartender Jon Santer, who devised it as a coffee-inflected twist on the Manhattan while working at Bruno's, a jazz club in the city's Mission District. Santer had a surplus of Bulleit bourbon, then a new and little-known brand, and built the drink around it, swapping the Manhattan's sweet vermouth for coffee liqueur and adding orange bitters and a flamed orange twist. The name is a play on Bulleit, evoking a gun and its ammunition, or "bullet."
Santer later brought the recipe to Bourbon & Branch, another San Francisco bar, where its theatrical flaming citrus garnish and bold coffee profile made it a frequent order and helped it spread among bartenders nationally.
FAQ
What is in a Revolver cocktail?
60 ml bourbon, 15 ml coffee liqueur (crème de café), and three dashes of orange bitters, with an optional 5 ml of sugar syrup.
What is the best bourbon for a Revolver?
A mid-proof, slightly sweet bourbon, with enough body to stand up to the coffee liqueur without turning muddy. Very high-proof or heavily oaked bottlings can push the drink bitter alongside the crème de café. The drink was first made with Bulleit, and its name plays on that brand.
What does a Revolver taste like?
It tastes like a bourbon Manhattan crossed with coffee: caramel and vanilla from the bourbon upfront, a roasted espresso bitterness in the middle, and a dry, orange-scented finish. It drinks strong and spirit-forward, closer to an Old Fashioned in weight than to a lighter, shaken drink.
Is a Revolver a strong cocktail?
Yes. At about 30.3% ABV it is strong and spirit-forward: almost all bourbon and coffee liqueur, with only bitters and an optional touch of syrup.
