Bourbon + Lemon: The Gold Rush Cocktail & Lemon Blackberry Bars

Spring has sprung and it’s time for warmer weather, outdoor hangouts, and cocktails with neighbors. At least that’s what it was like in the before times but since outdoor hangouts are relatively safe in pandemic life and my pod of quarantine neighbors are vaccinated, we’re dubbing 5 o’clock on Friday’s an official Cocktail Hour.
Every Friday we’re doing fancy cocktails paired with small bites, and each week a different spirit.
And you get to play along!
This week’s theme and pairing: Bourbon + Lemon
Join our cocktail hour with The Gold Rush paired with Lemon Blackberry Bars. Tangy, sweet, sour, spicy, delicious in every sip and bite.

The Gold Rush
This simple cocktail packs a delicious punch of tangy lemon, sweet honey, and smooth & spicy bourbon. Almost medicinal, combining raw honey and freshly squeezed lemon juice can make your Friday night way more fun. This recipe makes one cocktail, served over large ice cubes. Feel free to double, triple, quadruple the recipe to make and share.
Ingredients
The Gold Rush
- ¾ oz lemon juice
- ¾ oz honey syrup (recipe below)
- 2 oz bourbon
- lemon rind slice for garnish
Honey Syrup
- 1 cup honey
- ⅓ cup water
Instructions
The Gold Rush
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice, and shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
- Strain into an old fashioned glass (or your glass of choice) with a single large ice cube. Garnish with lemon rind.
Honey Syrup
- Combine honey and water in a pot over medium heat. Stir well until thoroughly combined.
- Remove from heat and let cool. Store refrigerated in a tightly sealed container for up to 2 weeks.

Lemon Blackberry Crumble Bars
Lemons, blackberries and oats make these bars gluten-free completely healthy. 😉 Mixed with lemon zest and tangy blackberries, these are perfect on their own or paired with a bourbon and lemon based cocktail.
Ingredients
Crust & Crumble Top
- 3 cups almond meal superfine
- 1 cup rolled oats not instant
- 2 tbsp oat milk
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
Berry Filling
- 3 cups fresh blackberries
- ½ cup water
- zest from one lemon
- ¼ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tbsp tapioca flour
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8 inch pan with coconut or olive oil and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine all crust/crumble ingredients together until well mixed.
- Add 2/3 of the mixture to the 8x8 pan and press evenly onto the bottom. Set remaining crust/crumble mixture aside to use for crumble topping.
- Bake crust at 350ºF for 10 minutes. Remove crust and set aside.
- While crust bakes, add all ingredients for the berry filling into a medium sauce pan. Stirring often, bring filling mixture to a low boil, breaking up the berries. Once the mixture starts to boil, turn heat down to low and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Continue stirring often. (Berries will start to thicken.)
- Pour thickened berry filling on top of baked crust. Spread the rest of the crumble mixture over the top of the berry filling.
- Bake for 10 minutes then remove from heat.
- Let cool for 20 minutes before placing into the fridge for at least 2 hours to let the filling set. Slice and enjoy!