Chinatown Sour. Credit: Juno Kim

Chinatown Sour by Keenan Hood

Name: Chinatown Sour by Keenan Hood
Prep time: 1800 s
Cook time: 1200 s
Total time: 3000 s
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: FOR THE COCKTAIL; Overproof bourbon: 30 ml; Fresh lemon juice: 30 ml; Fernet-Branca: 22 ml; Astragalus orgeat syrup (see below): 22 ml; FOR THE ASTRAGALUS ORGEAT SYRUP; Astragalus root: 20-25 g; Water: 700 ml; Sugar equal in volume to strained astragalus tea; Orgeat syrup

13 May 2026

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Difficulty

Medium

Total Time

50MIN

Cuisine

Chinese

Ingredients

FOR THE COCKTAIL

Overproof bourbon: 30 ml

Fresh lemon juice: 30 ml

Fernet-Branca: 22 ml

Astragalus orgeat syrup (see below): 22 ml

FOR THE ASTRAGALUS ORGEAT SYRUP

Astragalus root: 20-25 g

Water: 700 ml

Sugar, equal in volume to strained astragalus tea

Orgeat syrup

The Chinatown Sour from bartender Keenan Hood blends overproof bourbon, Fernet-Branca, and astragalus, a root commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The result is bright, bitter, herbal, and layered with warming spice and nuttiness from the astragalus orgeat syrup.

How to make a Chinatown Sour

01.

Make the Astragalus Tea

Combine the astragalus root and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Strain the liquid.

02.

Make the Astragalus Orgeat Syrup

Measure the strained astragalus tea and combine it with an equal amount of sugar, stirring until dissolved.
Mix the finished astragalus syrup with orgeat syrup in a 1:1 ratio.

03.

Make the Cocktail