For years, bone broth has lived comfortably in the world of soups, stews, and wellness routines, but its latest destination might surprise you. Bartenders across the United States are starting to incorporate it into cocktails, and the results are turning heads. Rather than making drinks taste like a bowl of soup, bone broth adds a rich, savory depth and a natural umami quality that rounds out the flavor in a way few other ingredients can. The trend has been picking up steam alongside a broader cultural obsession with high-protein diets, and according to Food & Wine, it is quickly finding its place behind the bar.
The ingredient first began showing up in unexpected recipes on social media, with a bone broth hot chocolate going viral on TikTok not long ago. That moment seemed to signal a wider shift in how people are thinking about this kitchen staple. Now, with protein intake being a near-universal talking point in health and wellness circles, bartenders and home mixologists alike are finding creative new ways to sneak it into their drinks. The crossover into cocktail culture feels surprising at first, but once you understand what bone broth actually brings to the table, it starts to make a lot of sense.
Bone broth is made by slow-cooking animal bones, whether beef, chicken, lamb, or others, together with water and aromatics over a long period of time. Nutritionist Maya Feller points out that the appeal is largely rooted in its composition: “People are drawn to it because it’s rich in collagen and gelatin.” She adds that depending on how it is prepared, a single serving can contain anywhere from seven to ten grams of protein, making it an easy way to boost your daily intake without much effort. Feller also notes that regular consumption may support gut health by helping to protect the intestinal lining and limiting the entry of harmful bacteria, though she emphasizes that consistency matters and that bone broth alone is not a magic solution.
While the idea of bone broth in a cocktail might feel cutting-edge, it actually has a surprisingly long history in American bar culture. The restaurant Brennan’s in New Orleans has been serving a cocktail called the Bloody Bull since the 1950s, when founder Owen Brennan decided to take the classic Bloody Mary and amplify it with beef broth. Current bar manager Braithe Gill describes the effect well: “Bone broth gives the drink a significantly richer, saltier flavor with natural umami.” He also notes that “it’s not necessarily a cold-weather drink, but it’s certainly an indispensable part of our brunch offerings,” which speaks to how naturally it fits alongside food-forward drinking occasions.
If you were to compare a traditional Bloody Mary to a Bloody Bull side by side, you would notice the difference right away. The classic version is lighter and fresher on the palate, while the Bloody Bull carries a deeper, more substantial character that lingers. Gill has said that if you didn’t know bone broth had been added, you would simply think you were drinking an exceptionally good version of the cocktail. Around the same time Brennan’s made its mark, a drink called the Bullshot was also born in the 1950s at the Caucus Club in Detroit, blending beef broth with vodka. That same venue today serves the New Bullshot, which swaps in gin and uses a house-made beef consommé for a more refined take on the original.
The ingredient is now popping up in inventive new forms across bars throughout the country. Daniel Sinclair, a bar owner in North Carolina, has been particularly enthusiastic about its potential. “Bone broth has depth of flavor, texture, and umami that translate uniquely into a cocktail,” he says. His team developed a drink called El Poncho, which brings together corn chip-infused tequila, chicken broth, Cointreau, lime juice, avocado, and agave nectar into one cohesive and adventurous glass. Sinclair explains the technical reason it works so well: “When you use salt in a cocktail, it acts as a flavor emulsifier and binds the ingredients together,” and bone broth essentially performs that same function with a far more complex flavor profile.
For those less familiar with bar terminology, umami is often described as the fifth basic taste, alongside sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. It is a savory, deeply satisfying quality commonly associated with aged cheeses, mushrooms, soy sauce, and slow-cooked meats. The Bloody Mary itself, the grandfather of savory cocktails, has long been considered a brunch staple and is typically made with vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and various spices. The Bloody Bull builds on that foundation by adding the richness of beef broth, creating a drink that straddles the line between cocktail and liquid meal. Consommé, used in the updated Bullshot, is a clarified and concentrated broth that has been used in fine dining for centuries, originating in French cuisine as a way to extract maximum flavor from bones and aromatics.
Share your thoughts on bone broth cocktails in the comments and let us know if you would ever try one.
