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Meet 'The Mulligan,' the PGA Championship's official bourbon cocktail

maggie menderski, louisville courier journal
·3 min read

Move over Arnold Palmer. “The Mulligan” is the official cocktail of the 2024 PGA Championship.

The refreshing, unique spin on the classic, synonymous-with-golf tea and lemonade mash-up features green tea-infused Elijah Craig Bourbon. While Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have been waiting to tee up at Louisville’s Valhalla Golf Club this week, the Heaven Hill team has been putting tea bags in Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon for the occasion. The Kentucky-based company has set up a speakeasy for craft cocktails at the 14th hole during the PGA Championship, where they expect to serve thousands of drinks throughout the week.

But even if you can’t make it to Valhalla for the tournament, Lynn House, the national spirit specialist and portfolio mixologist for Heaven Hill Brands, says “The Mulligan” recipe is so easy you can certainly raise a glass at home as though you’re there.

House took a few minutes during the PGA Championship practice round Tuesday to chat with The Courier Journal about the vision behind “The Mulligan.”

This interview has been lightly edited for context and clarity.

What is the vision and the concept around this cocktail, and how does that tie into the game of golf?

With green tea, you think of the (golf course) green as well. So green is very much a golf color, and we wanted to do something a little different than just traditional black tea, which I think most people are used to. It just brings a nuance flavor to "The Mulligan" cocktail. It’s not too far out of the spectrum, so people recognize it as green tea. A lot of people love to drink green tea, and it's got great benefits to it. So, it combines those worlds together and ties into the story of golf.

What is it about the flavor profile of Elijah Craig that makes it a good pair with green tea?

The Elijah Craig Small Batch has a little bit of rye in it and lots of corn, so it's got a little spiciness and great sweetness with it. So, I think it lends itself really nicely to tea. And then with the Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey, because that's another option for “The Mulligan,” there’s more spice and less corn. The whiskeys are made from 8- to 12-year-old barrels, so it's got some nice age to it. So, the tannins in the Elijah Craig are going to stand up to the tannins in the sweet tea.

What kind of feedback have you been getting about "The Mulligan" during the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club?

People love it. I think some people were surprised, there's as much whiskey in it as there is. It's just really refreshing, you know? It's a beautiful cocktail.

How difficult of a cocktail is this to make at home?

We wanted to make a cocktail that was refreshing for the golf course, but also something that people can recreate at home very easily. So, it's just two ounces of the green tea infused bourbon, and it’s about four tea bags to infuse a bottle of Elijah Craig, and then four ounces of lemonade, stir it up, and then float the club soda on top. What I also love about it, is that if you're doing viewing parties or watch parties, you can make a big pitcher, or get a punch bowl and serve it that way. We just want everyone, whether you're here live or watching it on TV, to enjoy the cocktail and enjoy the game.

The Recipe for "The Mulligan" the official cocktail of the 2024 PGA Championship

  • 2 oz. green tea-infused Elijah Craig Bourbon

  • 4 oz. lemonade

  • Splash of soda water

  • Mint

  • Lemon Wheel

Steep one green tea bag in three ounces of Elijah Craig Bourbon for 10 minutes. Fill highball glass with ice. Pour lemonade in a highball glass over ice. Top with soda water. Float tea-infused Bourbon on top. Stir, and then add the mint and lemon wheel as garnishes.

Reach reporter Maggie Menderski at mmenderski@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Meet 'The Mulligan,' the PGA Championship's official bourbon cocktail