The Basil Hayden Wish is a lesser-known, promotional cocktail created in 2009 specifically for fashion designer Cynthia Rowley. It was served at her Fall 2009 collection show during New York Fashion Week (on February 16). The drink drew inspiration from the rich red hues and wishbone shape in Rowley’s collection, capturing her “assertive, whimsical spirit.” It offered a refreshing, bubbly alternative to standard Fashion Week drinks like straight champagne or vodka.
Ingredients (proportions in “parts” for easy scaling)
- 1 part Basil Hayden Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- ½ part DeKuyper Pucker Strawberry Passion Schnapps (adds fruity, tangy strawberry-passionfruit notes)
- ½ part sour mix (or fresh lemon/lime juice + simple syrup for balance)
- 2 parts champagne (or sparkling wine, for effervescence)
Instructions
- Add the bourbon, strawberry schnapps, and sour mix to a shaker with ice.
- Shake well until chilled.
- Strain into a chilled champagne flute.
- Top with champagne.
- Garnish with a small fresh strawberry on the rim.
The result is a light, tangy, passion-colored (pinkish-red) sparkling cocktail. The bourbon provides a subtle spicy backbone, the schnapps brings sweet-tart fruitiness, the sour mix adds brightness, and the champagne keeps it festive and effervescent.
Note that this isn’t one of Basil Hayden’s current official signature cocktails (their site promotes drinks like the Basil Hayden 75, Golden Hour, Old Fashioned, and others). It appears to have been a limited-time collaboration tied to the fashion event, which explains why it’s harder to find in modern recipe roundups.
If you’re making it at home, feel free to tweak the sour mix for fresher citrus or use a drier sparkling wine to let the bourbon shine more. Cheers!
