That gingerbread syrup I made last week was crying out to be used in a Gingerbread Old Fashioned cocktail so I gave in to the pressure and made one. It tasted more delicious better paired with an actual gingerbread cookie. It had a touch of bite from the ginger, plenty of sweetness from the syrup […]
Bourbon
How Santa Prefers His Cookies: Gingerbread Whiskey Sour
I start craving gingerbread cocktails in November, and this year, this Gingerbread Whiskey Sour was at the top of my must-make list. After creating a luscious gingerbread syrup, I wanted nothing more than to try it out in every iteration of a whiskey cocktail, and my first impulse was to see how it fared in […]
The Best Christmas Manhattan Cocktail
This Christmas Manhattan cocktail has all the flavors I associate with the holidays: cinnamon, orange, clove, allspice, and nut. By using a vermouth infused with mulling spices, and a bit of orange spice-infused syrup all the sentimental flavors of the season can be nosed and tasted in one easy cocktail. (Post may contain affiliate links.) […]
Santa Needs This Christmas Old Fashioned – STAT
When you come up with a fabulous holiday simple syrup that soars with the flavors of the season it is a fait accompli that it should go into a Christmas Old Fashioned. Two weeks ago I created a vibrant infused Christmas simple syrup (really, it’s an all-holiday simple syrup) with orange, cinnamon, clove, allspice and […]
Create a Thanksgiving Cocktail Win With this Pumpkin Spice Old Fashioned
The perfect bourbon thanksgiving Old Fashioned does exist with this fast and easy pumpkin spice cocktail that whiskey aficionados and newbies can enjoy. With a quick simple syrup you can make in the microwave or on the stove and batch instructions below it’s perfect to sip one by one or with a crowd. While the […]
The 7 Best Whiskeys for a Killer Hot Toddy
by Hunter Branch When winter comes, so do hot toddies. And few things can warm you up and quell cold symptoms quite like this beautiful drink. But when it comes to making one, there’s one question I get asked all the time… “What whiskey should I use?” And it’s a great question because there are […]
This Sweet Potato Cocktail Completes Your Thanksgiving Menu
When I started drinking bourbon, I loved adding a splash to my Aunt Vernie’s sweet potato casserole, but now I forgo the dish altogether a create a decadent and delicious sweet potato cocktail. The best part is that I just save some of the syrup from canned sweet potato and use that to make the […]
Must Mix EASY Halloween Drink: Bloody Booooolevardier
Halloween is the time for bloody and bitter cocktails and this easy Boulevardier riff is perfect as a single cocktail or batched as a Halloween drink. In this cocktail we take a classic Boulevardier, top it with blood orange soda and add a fun pepper garnish to give the whole thing some horns. What’s a […]
The Only Pomegranate Cocktail You’ll Ever Need
With the holidays around the corner I’m thinking of fast and easy cocktails I can make and batch for parties with families and friends – and this easy Old Fashioned Pomegranate Cocktail shines with festive, seasonal flavors. With just whiskey, pomegranate liqueur, a splash of grenadine and some chocolate bitters, this cocktail was fast to […]
Best Ever Apple Manhattan is Better than Pumpkin Spice Anything
Get all the tastes of fall in one sip with this easy and elegant Apple Manhattan recipe. Featuring bourbon, apple brandy, vermouth, and bitters this autumn whiskey cocktail keeps the flavor profile of a true Manhattan cocktail while elevating the flavors of fall with apple brandy and fall-themed bitters. The two tweaks to a standard […]
How to Choose the Best Whiskey for a Highball (And Other Highball Mysteries)
You’d think for a cocktail with just two ingredients, choosing the best whiskey for a highball wouldn’t be that difficult. On the contrary, with so few ingredients, everything about the preparation of the highball, from the temperature of the ingredients, the type of glass to the whiskey you pour in the drink matters. But, the […]
What’s the Difference? Negroni Vs Boulevardier
Ever wondered what the difference is between a Negroni vs a Boulevardier? One of the first craft cocktails outside of the common whiskey cocktail canon people explore at a craft cocktail bar is the Boulevardier. With the substitution of bourbon for gin, the flavor profile varies wildly from the Negroni. Let’s take a closer look […]
Stroll into Fall with this Scrumptious Fig Old Fashioned
I prefer figs over pumpkin spice, and creating this Fig Old Fashioned just cemented itself as my new favorite fall bourbon cocktail. I’d been planning on making a fig syrup for cocktails for weeks, and when I finally did my first use of it was a scrumptious Fig Old Fashioned that will be a staple […]
You Need This Peach Old Fashioned in Your Life, Seriously
Hold up, you’ve never tried a Peach Old Fashioned cocktail? If you’re a bourbon lover or a peach lover, this combination of ripe peach flavor, sweet bourbon, and a dash of bitters makes a gloriously refreshing summer tipple. And I’ve got two ways to get that peach flavor in it, and one doesn’t require making […]
Banana Split Boulevardier
When you can’t decide between a dessert and a drink, build (or batch) this Banana Split Boulevardier as the answer to both. I had made some great infusions and just a touch of each. For a standard boulevardier you combine bourbon, sweet vermouth and Campari. But for this gem I used banana-infused bourbon, strawberry-infused Campari […]
How to Judge Whiskey: What Happens at a Whiskey Competition
Judging at a whiskey competition sounds like a cushy gig until you realize a whiskey judge evaluates and provides specific notes and feedback on 50, 70, or even 100 spirits. But there’s a seriousness to it, and while drinking whiskey may be fun, judging it can be hard work. After my first experience judging at […]