Happiness Hours: sweet, sour, and bold. The name Happiness Hours is taken from one of my favorite albums of 2018, The Sidekicks’ Happiness Hours. I could never pick a #1 favorite album, but it’s in my top 10. It’s a great indie rock album to listen to anytime with anyone – the songs & riffs are sure to get stuck in your head and make you listen to the whole thing again. On Sunday, I’ll be sharing my top ten favorite albums from 2018!
Since Happiness Hours does nothing to explain the drink itself, I’ll break down the ingredients for ya. First we’re shaking up bourbon, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and honey. Then topping with red wine. Simple! Normally, I’m a fan of drier wines, but for this recipe you’ll want to pick a fruity wine. It will help to balance out all the other flavors and cut some of the sweetness.
You might also recognize this cocktail recipe as a New York Sour. Yep, it’s basically the same thing. Except when I poured the wine in the glass, it sunk to the bottom instead of floating. So it’s like a reversed New York Sour. Not sure why that happened. The drink still looks cool, so I’m calling it a pleasant surprise. Do you have any tips for making the wine float on the top? I’d love to hear!
This drink would make a great addition to your New Year’s Eve celebration! You can make a batch of the bourbon mixture then just have everyone add their portion of wine whenever they’re ready for a glass.
If you make this Happiness Hours cocktail, be sure to comment. I love hearing your thoughts and suggestions!
Happiness Hours

Yield: Makes one drink |
Named after The Sidekicks' Happiness Hours, this bourbon, lemon, wine cocktail is a mix of sweet and tart.
You'll Need...
- 1 1/2 ounces bourbon
- 1 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ounce honey or simple syrup
- 1 ounce red wine, I used Cabernet Sauvignon
- large ice cubes
Directions
- Prepare a glass with large ice cubes
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, mix bourbon, lemon juice, and honey. Shake 30 seconds.
- Strain bourbon mixture into glass.
- Hold a bar spoon over the glass and slowly pour in wine, creating layers.
Additional Notes
images & text © North Coast Eats
adapted from Cookie And Kate
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