Revolver
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 29.8% ABV ∙
The Revolver is a stirred bourbon cocktail built with coffee liqueur and orange bitters, essentially a Manhattan turned toward espresso instead of vermouth. Silky and dense on the tongue, with a bittersweet coffee undertow that fades into a warm, lingering finish lifted by a bright citrus snap.
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 mlOrange bitters 3 dashes
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express flamed an orange twist over the cocktail, then use as garnish
Tips
- Stir over ice until well-chilled and diluted, about 30 seconds, then fine-strain to keep the glass clear of ice shards.
- Pre-chill the coupe so the stirred drink doesn't lose its temperature the moment it's strained in.
- Flame the orange twist over the glass rather than just twisting it — the scorched citrus oils add an aromatic layer that plain zest lacks.
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, eventually establishing it as a modern classic despite its near-absence from earlier cocktail books.
FAQ
What is in a Revolver cocktail?
A Revolver is bourbon, coffee liqueur (crème de café), and orange bitters, stirred with ice and fine-strained into a chilled glass, with a touch of sugar syrup rounding out the mix in this build. It is finished with a flamed orange twist expressed over the drink for aroma.
What is the best bourbon for a Revolver?
A mid-proof, slightly sweet bourbon works best, since it needs enough backbone to stand up to the coffee liqueur without turning muddy. Avoid very high-proof or heavily oaked bottlings, which can push the drink bitter alongside the crème de café.
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. At close to 30% ABV, 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 29.8% ABV it is a strong, spirit-forward drink, since it is built almost entirely from bourbon and coffee liqueur with only a touch of syrup and bitters to soften it.
