Horse's Neck

A Horse's Neck is an American cocktail recognised by the IBA. It is made with brandy (or sometimes bourbon) and ginger ale, with a long spiral of lemon peel (zest) draped over the edge of an old fashioned or highball glass. When made with Ale-8-One and Maker's Mark this drink is commonly referred to as a Kentucky Gentleman. A similar Canadian drink, the Rye & Ginger, is made with Canadian whisky and ginger ale.

Dating back to the 1890s, it was a non-alcoholic mixture of ginger ale, ice and lemon peel. By the 1910s, brandy, sometimes bourbon would be added for a 'Horse's Neck with a Kick' or '~ Stiff'. The non-alcoholic version was still served in upstate New York in the late fifties or early sixties, but eventually it was phased out. The non-alcoholic version of the drink is referenced in the 1950 film noir, "In A Lonely Place" starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame. The hat-check girl, Mildred Atkinson played by Martha Stewart, states that adding bitters to ginger ale is called a “Horse’s Neck”.

Horse's Neck became popular in the wardrooms of the Royal Navy in the 1960s, displacing Pink Gin as the officers' signature drink. (An early reference to this is made in the 1957 film Yangtse Incident, in which a naval officer is shown drinking a 'Horse's Neck' in 1949). At naval Cocktail Parties (CTPs), it is sometimes served by the mess stewards ready-mixed in glass jugs, alongside similar jugs of mixed gin and tonic, with the request "H-N or G&T, Sir?" Helen Broderick as Madge Hardwick orders a Horse’s Neck in the 1935 movie “Top Hat.” Ian Fleming in the book Octopussy describes the Horse's Neck as being "the drunkards drink" he was also quite partial to them himself.