The Old Pal is a twist on the Negroni cocktail, and it appears that it was first published in a cocktail book in 1922. It has a bright red color (from the Campari), and is definitely classic in it’s flavor. Try it and enjoy!
Old Pal
This is a pretty classic drink that prescribes pretty well to the definition of cocktail from over a hundred years ago. It uses Peychauds bitters, which are a New Orleans staple and the essential cocktail bitter in a Sazerac. Combined with the orange juice and whiskey, Peychauds makes this a cool-looking golden drink that’s pretty old school in it’s flavor profile.
Bittersweet Cocktail
I’d always heard of Hot Toddys, but have never made one until just recently. Hot cocktails are a rare treat, and they usually only make up about 5% of the big cocktail books. Now that my town’s already had a snow or two this year, it’s time to try some classic cold weather cocktails. The best way to think of a Hot Toddy is it’s like tea, but with whiskey instead of tea. Yes please!
Hot Toddy
The Paddy is a classic cocktail which is a bit like a Manhattan with Irish whiskey. Since I have a bunch of honey whiskies to work with because of the Bees vs. Trees series, I decided to put it to use and substitute Bushmills Irish Honey in the place of the usual Irish whiskey in a paddy. It’s a great cocktail:
Honey Paddy Cocktail
“Livy my darling, I want you to be sure and remember to have, in the bathroom, when I arrive, a bottle of Scotch whisky, a lemon, some crushed sugar, and a bottle of Angostura bitters. Ever since I have been in London I have taken in a wine glass what is called a cock-tail (made with those ingredients) before breakfast, before dinner, & just before going to bed.”
Mark Twain’s birthday is November 30th, and this year would have been his 178th. There may be no better way to celebrate his legacy than with his favorite cocktail – a real old-school treat which he describes above in a 1874 letter to his wife.
Mark Twain Cocktail
I was browsing Mr. Boston’s Cocktail book recently, and discovered a cocktail I’d never heard of. This drink ends up a cool, bright yellow because of the mixture of the two ingredients. This is a potent drink – it clocks in at a meager 2 oz – and it’s a great excuse to use you old-timey cocktail coupes:
TNT Cocktail
Arriving for winter is a seasonal version of Jack Daniel’s that’s meant to be drunk hot: Winter Jack Tennessee Cider. Wrapped in a snowy-white label, Winter Jack is lighter in color than it’s namesake, and considerably lighter in alcohol: just 15% vs. Jack’s usual 40%.
Depending on where you are in the world, this will either be called Tennessee Cider or Tennessee Apple Whiskey Punch, but it’s the same Winter Jack regardless of the subtitle. It’s described on the label as “a seasonal blend of apple cider liqueur & Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey,” and it ends up taking just like that: a little Jack, a little apple, some cinnamon and spice.
Really, Winter Jack is made to be an easy cider for a snowy day: pour it in a coffee mug, heat it up, drink and repeat. Winter Jack will run you $15-20 a bottle, and there are 30 states that it’ll be distributed to in the U.S., though the list excludes my home state of New Mexico, so we’ll have to take a road trip to Colorado or Texas to get some.
This week we’re doing a two-part series called Bees vs. Trees, in which I taste a bunch of honey whiskies (the Bees) and maple whiskies (the Trees). Today, the Trees get the spotlight as maple is a fairly new whiskey flavor that’s gaining popularity. Just as an educational note, there is a very blurry line between whether these are, by definition, flavored whiskies or strong liqueurs, since they usually have added sugars as well.
I imagine you’ve experienced the fact that the smell of maple really dominates the air when you’ve got some out. These whiskeys are no different: just an open bottle of one of these is enough to fill your entire house with the smell of maple. Surprisingly, though, while maple gets all up in your senses, the flavor that gets delivered to your tongue is much more tame, which may also be because most of these (unlike their Bee brethren) are 40% ABV or higher.
Cabin Fever Maple
Crown Royal Maple Finished
Knob Creek Smoked Maple
Jim Beam Maple
This week we’ll have a two-part series called Bees vs. Trees, in which I taste a bunch of honey whiskies (the Bees) and maple whiskies (the Trees). Today, the Bees get the spotlight as honey has become a very popular additive to a wide variety of whiskeys. Just as an educational note, there is a very blurry line between whether these are, by definition, flavored whiskies or strong liqueurs, since they usually have added sugars as well.
After tasting this lot, I found that overall, honey whiskies have a much less-pronounced scent than maple, but the sweetness comes through stronger as you taste them, plus the honey whiskies are mostly lower in alcohol % than the maple varieties that you’ll see in the next part, too.
Let’s get tasting!
Evan Williams Honey Reserve
Jim Beam Honey
Bushmills Irish Honey
Jack Daniel’s American Honey
Bourbon Heritage Month is built on 2 congressional declarations: in 1964, Congress declared bourbon America’s Native Spirit, then in 2007, Congress named September National Bourbon Heritage Month.
Last year, I talked you though 6 of the most popular brands of bourbon. This year, I grabbed some less familiar bourbon brands and tasted them throughout September. Remember that to be legally called bourbon, a spirit must be:
Here were the sippers that I enjoyed in September 2013 for Bourbon Heritage Month:
Peach Street Colorado ($66): Aged 9 years and bottled at 92 proof. This is an amazing bourbon – complex, strong, spicy, and a tad sweet. If you pressed me and the mood was right, I might tell you that this is the best bourbon I’ve ever had. I’ve become a big fan of Colorado whiskey.
Col. E. H. Taylor Small Batch ($45):Aged 7 years and bottled at 100 proof. A great, balanced bourbon with a bunch of history distilled in the bottle. There’s a good, sweet, and almost fruity, flavor to this bourbon.
McAfee’s Benchmark No. 8 ($12): No age statement, bottled at 80 proof. You will discover online that many claim this as the best bourbon you can buy for $12. I made a Manhattan with it, and it is a very good bourbon, though compared to pricier offerings, McAfee’s tastes a little bit young and hot.
