New bottled cocktail named after Revolutionary War hero

If you want to toast the Fourth of July in a patriotic fashion, have I got a sip for you.

Even if it is America s signature whiskey, it is not bourbon. And not the frozen margarita, any icy cocktail that may be Mexican-inspired but actually comes to us via Texas.

I am talking about Hercules Mulligan, as in a new bottled cocktail named after the Revolutionary War figure.

Mulligan was an Irish native who emigrated to New York City, and was a tailor who doubled as a spy for the Continental Army. He also happened to be good friends with Alexander Hamilton - and yes, he figures into the Hamilton musical.

The story of how Mulligan became the name behind a boozy beverage is all about the spirit industry veteran Steve Luttmann and his love of history. Luttmann is best known for launching another brand, Leblon, a cacha that has helped to popularize the Brazilian spirit. The brand was eventually acquired by Bacardi. For his next act, Luttmann was inspired to think American, particularly after reading Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton. He learned about Mulligan and had the idea to create a sip in his honor.

What kind of sip? Luttmann notes that rum was a popular drink in colonial America, but it was often combined with more commonly available rye to stretch out the supply. Luttmann imagined that when Mulligan tried to gain the confidence of British soldiers, he might have had a few drinks with them, so it is quite possible that they were sipping the combo of rum and rye.

Luttmann is hoping to cash in on the fervor for ready-to- drink or RTD cocktails, a global market that is expected to grow steadily to $2.43 billion by the year 2030. He also makes the point that he is trying to distinguish his bottled product from some artificially flavored canned ones. He says he calls it a craft bottled cocktail.

Luttmann is trying to expand the market for Hercules Mulligan, after already completed an initial $750,000 round of crowdfunding. He is about to begin a $1.5 million second round.

There is a lot to appreciate about Hercules Mulligan, the man, and the role he played in helping us defeat the British. So, it is fortunate that the drink named in his honor does him proud justice. It is sweet, but not overly sweet, and has a nice note of spice to accompany the booze. The recipe calls for a bit of ginger, Luttmann notes While I wrote about another quality bottled cocktail recently, it makes for good drinking on the Fourth of July, or most occasions.

As a bottled cocktail, it's good to go straight from the bottle -- just pour into a glass and add ice. Luttmann says some mixologists and would-be mixologists are getting clever and combining it with other ingredients, such as tonic water.