Introducing SLTN’s Spirit of the Sixties Cocktail Competition finalists

Bulleit-Proof in Saigon

By Ross McCann, The Boar’s Head

“For my cocktail I drew inspiration from the anti-Vietnam war movement. Tom Bulleit of Bulleit Bourbon was a veteran of Vietnam, so that was the connection to the spirit of choice, but also for the name of the drink. 

Sadly the history books will tell you that Saigon wasn’t bulletproof in what was a pointless war.

The syrup is a ‘bastardised’ take on a Vietnamese whisky sour, but of course, the Yanks wouldn’t use whisky, they would go bourbon to spite the VC. 

However, being in the jungles of ‘Nam, you’d have to make things with what you had, so I used that mindset to craft a syrup with an Asia-inspired taste to match the bourbon’s sweetness with a slight aromatic twist.”

Bulleit-Proof in Saigon:

• 50ml Bulleit Bourbon

• Half a fresh lime squeezed for the juice

• 35ml of Saigon Syrup (Brown sugar syrup infused with toasted kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, coriander seeds, fresh ginger, 2 dashes of fish sauce, lime juice and zest)

• Garnished with dehydrated lime and kaffir lime leaf.