You’ll be exclaiming “Hi-yo, Silver! Away!” after your first sip of the bubbly and brisk Lone Ranger cocktail.
I’m sure if I asked my nephews who their favorite cowboy actor or character is, they’d probably just look at me funny. Are westerns even a “thing” anymore? I know new ones get made all the time, but honestly the days of The Duke and Clint Eastwood being iconic and huge box office draws in their ten-gallon hats are over, it seems. Not that those times aren’t legendary, or influential, but they seemed to have rode off into the sunset, set to the mournful strains of Ennio Morricone.
But you never know. When I was a kid, one of my favorite characters was The Lone Ranger. I had action figures and horses for them to ride, and that masked cowboy looked right at home sitting next to all of my Star Wars, He-Man and G.I. Joe toys, at least to my eyes. Back then, we still had Clint gunslinging on the big screen, and plenty of reruns of Bonanza to keep my generation entertained after school.
Tonight’s cocktail takes its name and influence from that classic fictional hero, The Lone Ranger. Invented in Portland, Oregon, by celebrity mixologist Jeffrey Morgenthaler in 2012, this cocktail was born far from the Wild West. A light and fizzy tipple, the Lone Ranger is a tequila-based riff on the gin and champagne mixture, the French 75. Becoming just as popular as the 75, the Lone Ranger soon found itself being called “the 2024 Drink of Summer” by Better Homes and Gardens.
Hi-yo, Silver praise indeed!
What is the best alcohol to use in a Lone Ranger cocktail?
You’ll want a light and peppery silver tequila to mix this drink with. The clear color of the unaged spirit will help give the drink its bright look, and the flavor will also meld nicely with the citrus and sugar. For the sparkling wine, our recipe suggests a rosé, which will have just the right amount of light sweetness and perfectly dry crispness. This will help give your beverage a wonderful balance.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces silver tequila
- 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup
- 2 ounces rosé sparkling wine chilled
- Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the silver tequila, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup. Fill the shaker with ice and shake well.
- Strain into a collins glass filled with fresh ice. Gently top with rosé sparkling wine.
- Garnish with a lemon twist by expressing its oils over the drink before placing it in the glass. Enjoy!
Nutrition
What glassware and garnish are used?
Pour your cocktail into a chilled collins glass filled with ice, then garnish with a lemon twist.
Can you use lime juice instead of lemon?
Using lime juice in place of the lemon in this recipe will result in a drink called the Mexican 75, or if you add some triple sec, a Sparkling Rosé Margarita.
Similar cocktails to the Lone Ranger
Looking for a little peace, quiet and effervescence? Me too. And the Lone Ranger cocktail has definitely helped. If the fizzy charms of today’s recipe have put you in the mood and mind for more of the same, but also with a difference, then let Twist & Toast show you a few other relaxing elixirs you can make this evening.
- Cognac French 75 – Here’s an elegant and robust version of the cocktail classic.
- French 76 – Use vodka in this mixture to make yourself a 76.
- French 77 – Elderflower liqueur makes this drink a fresh and floral one.
- Tom Collins – Use club soda with your gin, lemon and sugar mix to make this refreshing sipper.
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