The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger cocktail was invented by Jeffery Morgenthaler while he was running the Clyde Common bar and Pepe Le Moko in Portland, Oregon, in 2012, making it one of the youngest entries in the classic cocktails list. Morgenthaler created the Lone Ranger to be a brunch cocktail, claiming that tequila was a very underrated ingredient in morning cocktails.
Whether you are a fan of morning cocktails or not, there is little doubt that the Lone Ranger is a perfect cocktail for a summer’s afternoon. Citrussy, punchy, and bubbly, it almost demands to be drunk beside the pool. Be sure to use a very good sparkling wine or Champagne for this cocktail, as cheap fizz will do no favours for the drink — and much less for your head if you have one too many by the pool!
Many recipes for the Lone Ranger do not specify rosé sparkling wine, but for me, it adds colour and a slightly fruity flavour. Besides that, it was the creator’s intention — to give the cocktail a light and summery look.
Jeffery Morgenthaler is an innovative barman who has recently opened his new bar, Pacific Standard, in Portland. He is known for popularising barrel-aged cocktails, re-working old classic cocktails and bringing them to a new audience, and as recently as 2022, he created a line of canned cocktails for the local Oregon market. In an era where celebrity chefs are the new gods, Jeffery Morgenthaler is a breath of fresh air — showing the so-called celebrity chefs what real alchemy looks like. Morgenthaler grabs the old, outdated cocktails by their tuxedo collars, freshens them up, and introduces them to the roaring 2020s.
If you are near the Pacific Northwest of America, do yourself a favour and get to Pacific Standard to meet a modern wonder of the cocktail world.
The Lone Ranger Recipe Ingredients:
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50 ml Silver Tequila
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25 ml Fresh Lemon Juice
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15 ml Sugar Syrup
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60 ml Dry Sparkling Wine or Champagne (rosé recommended)
Instructions:
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Shake the first three ingredients with ice.
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Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass.
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Top with sparkling wine or Champagne.
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Garnish with a lemon twist.
