Alright, it’s Tuesday, so sue me. ?We had some site issues that kept me from posting this yesterday and hey, look, content!!!

I was sitting at work the other when my phone beeps alerting me that someone on Twitter mentioned me. ?I check the tweeters and it was my buddy Chris?informing some of us old fogies that this MxMo would be the last. ?He sent along Fred’s announcement on Cocktail Virgin Slut?that after almost 11 years, MxMo would be ending. ?I tested Sean and we decided that the occasion called for an old-school Scofflaw cocktail makin’ hootnany. ?Scofflaw’s Den has posted 52 articles for MxMo over the years and we’re happy (and a bit sad) to participate in the final one.

The theme is “Irish Wake” and as you can read from Fred’s post, the goal is to uncover or create a new recipe using Irish whiskey or tell a story where Irish whiskey played a role. ?If you know Sean or I, or have read this site before, you know we like our whiskey and Irish whiskey is no exception. ? Sean brought over a bottle of Powers and a bottle of Writer’s Tears. ?I contributed a bottle of Redbreast 12 Year Old and Slieve Foy.

Sean brought over a bottle of BG Reynold’s Orgeat?which we simply had to use. ? Considering a theme of an Irish Wake, it only seemed appropriate to use an amaro as well. ?Something dark and bitter just seemed appropriate. ?We started with Nardini Bassano Amaro. ?The roasted and coffee notes seemed perfect for a sad theme. ?So after several drams of Irishwhiskey, we started mixin.

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The Nardini Amaro was determined to be too complex for the drink. ?We needed something just as dark and bitter with just a little less going on. ?Sean and I looked at each other and both said “Averna!” ?After a couple of attempts we had a cocktail that we both really enjoyed. ?I give you . . .

The Irish Goodbye
2 oz Irish Whiskey
.75 oz ?Averna
.5 oz ?fresh lemon juice
.5 oz orgeat

Mix all ingredients in an ice filled shaker and shake it like you’re hoping a potato will pop out. ?Strain over ice and garnish with a maraschino cheery.

Now, of course, we can’t leave well enough alone. ?When we go out there is a phenomenon we call the Irish Goodbye where a person simply disappears. ?One second they are talking with you at the bar and then next, POOF, they are no where to be found. ?The thing about the Irish Goodbye though is that you’ve still had quite an enjoyable night and you know that you will see your compatriot soon and bend elbows again. ?With this in mind, I wanted to make the Irish Goodbye something eye catching for the final MxMo.

My freezer contained several hollow ice spheres I made for a party. ?Using my smoke gun, I filled the ice sphere with apple wood smoke and plugged the hole with a maraschino cherry. ?I then poured the cocktail over the ice sphere in a double old fashioned glass. ?After the drink is served, using an ice pick you crack the ice sphere and POOF a puff of smoke rises from the cocktail and disappears into the ether. ?A true Irish Goodbye.

Pictures!

Pouring the drink

Tapping the first ice ball

Tapping the second ice ball

Smoke on the cocktail

I liked going there for dates because the dates were usually terrible and Alex, Julia, Jade, and K. Clare would help me figure out how it went (wrong).

I’ve never really had a date or a girlfriend on Valentine’s Day. A few years ago I was dating someone over Valentine’s Day, but she was in Kentucky for the holiday and didn’t like flowers. That’s why we broke up, in the end, I tried to send her flowers, they called her cell phone for delivery (which she hadn’t turned off during a meeting), and she called me up screaming at me to dump me.

Let me get your jacket for you…

Back in October, I got an email about a Canadian whisky called Pendleton Midnight. I said, why, yes, I would like some, and they said, sure, here you go. I got the box for it and put it on my coffee table and let it box age* ( * – not a thing) until, uhhh, last night.

But then the other day they told me about a cocktail competition they’re hosting and I was like, oh, I should try this whisky. And write about it, obvs. And take pictures of it because PR/marketing folks are always like “we have hi-res images” and I’m always like “ha I got a cell phone and shaky hands” which is WAY realer than hi-res promo images, right?

(That competition: it’s open to everybody! One winner per month, through June, and you might get a chance to go to their final competition and win cash and prizes. I like contests that are open to everybody. And once a month, hey guys, that’s, uh, a couple of chances? How far away is June? It’s so cold. I don’t know anymore.)

So I finally cracked her open and … wow. That’s some damn good whisky.

That’s a nice outfit you’re wearing

It’s rich, smooth, and delicious. They have tasting notes in the booklet that came with it, but I’ll put it this way: I don’t know if I’ve had another Canadian whisky with the depth of flavor I got out of this one.

It also came with some cocktail recipes, which normally I laugh at and throw away. I did the same thing here, but laughing in a good way: they’re three recipes. A Manhattan and an Old Fashioned are both listed, made in the proper ratios (IMHO) of 2-1 for the Manhattan and just a bit of sugar and bitters with the whisky in the Old Fashioned. The third is just two ounces, neat.

Let’s get you out of that dress

Pendleton is imported from Canada and bottled by Hood River in Oregon. Some Googling didn’t lead me to know who distills it in Canada (not that it really matters, to be honest, as they’re not claiming to distill it themselves – I just like to know). But with all that branding and such, it boils down to that it’s a smooth, delicious whisky even neat at 90 proof.

Oh, you look good like that

That’s why this year my date for Valentine’s Day will be Pendleton Midnight Whisky. Unlike that time I went to Estadio on a date and she told me that she was going to start a website calling out servers and bartenders by name and establishment if she didn’t get good enough service, I will probably instead drink it alone. Like the aftermath of so many bad dates, it’ll probably end the same, with me entirely too drunk, helping to donate to charity, then sleeping alone. But hey, sometimes that’s all a guy needs on a Valentine’s Day night.

Ragtime!

Before I even moved up to the northern Virginia area, I knew Ragtime – it was the bar we always seemed to end up at in Courthouse around 1 AM, just before last call, with a “surprise” tray of shots and a hangover the next day. Indeed, that reputation stuck with me for a while after moving to NoVA, mostly courteous of one friend who was always giving his number to the servers.

When I moved into Courthouse, though, I discovered that it’s actually a fantastic bar – not just because it’s a WVU Mountaineers bar (which made my parents happy when we went there just after my move) but because of a great staff and a constantly improving beer selection. I’ve been there hundreds of times (according to Foursquare, nearly 400 times) and probably had just about everything on the menu.

The one thing I never really drank, though, were the mixed drinks, with just two exceptions. One was when they did a martini night, and I could get a nice big glass of cold gin with extra vermouth for cheap. The other was the infamous (to us) pomegranate martini, which despite being called a martini was based off tequila. We (we being the guys) would go to Ragtime claiming girlfriends/wives wanted the pomegranate martini, but really we’d end up drinking lots of them. They were kind of addictive.

The latest restaurant by the same owners had a more focused cocktail program and Ragtime went through a time of doing flavored liquors, but still I was surprised recently when they announced their new cocktail program, focusing on classic drinks and fresh ingredients, including squeezed to order juices and housemade syrups such as orgeat. I, of course, needed to check this out as soon as I could, on a night when I wasn’t doing something stupid like drinking two or three pitchers of Blue Point Toasted Lager.

Death in the Afternoon

Fortunately, I got my chance last night finally when I was meeting a friend there (like I’m going to drink all nine cocktails in one night!).

The first thing that really surprised me was the cost of the drinks. The most expensive drink on the menu was $10, and most were $7-$8. In this town that’s a steal! But still, I’d have to try them first. Just to note: I wasn’t sitting at the actual bar, but at a high top near it. I could see the bartenders making my drinks, but I did not notice brands being used.

Death in the Afternoon – $8 – absinthe, lemon, simple syrup, champagne. I’ve had these before and never been a huge fan, but this one hit me just right – the absinthe taste was prominent, and I’m not a fan of absinthe for the most part, but the combination worked out really well. It was served in a traditional champagne coupe (see right) and was exactly the drink I needed to start off the night.

Vieux Carre

Vieux Carre – $10 (only $10 drink on the menu) – rye, cognac, Dolin Rouge, green Chartreuse, Angostura, Peychauds, lemon. First off, I was glad to see Dolin listed! That’s my favorite vermouth. As you can see in the picture, it’s served over one large ice cube and felt like a substantial drink (I did not measure, so that’s why I said “felt like”). I sipped off the top first and wasn’t impressed but liked it more as I drank out of the straw. For me, personally, it could’ve used a bit more bitters in it, but I also know the environment they’re working in – a super-bitter drink probably ain’t gonna work in a sports bar. (Really, the fact that they’re doing this menu at all is amazing and exciting to me, and makes me even more excited about football season!)

Unfortunately, they were out of mint, so the?mint julep and the?Queen’s Park Swizzle weren’t available (the latter being my next choice). So let’s stick with Hemingway!

Hemingway Daiquiri and Pimm’s Cup No. 1

Hemingway Daiquiri – $8 – white rum, maraschino, grapefruit, lime, simple syrup. This came out well-balanced as well, with a solid taste of maraschino in the back end that I thought brought the whole thing together nicely. My companion didn’t agree, as she felt it tasted more alcohol-y, but I’ve grown an appreciation for the taste of maraschino recently. It’s very easy for maraschino to overwhelm a drink so someone newer to those flavors might be hesitant at the flavor but I think after a drink or two they would really enjoy it.

My friend got a Pimm’s Cup.

Pimm’s Cup No. 1 – $7 – Pimms, rosemary syrup, lemon, ginger beer, garden garnish. Yes, technically the “Pimm’s Cup No. 1″ is the name of the liqueur in the drink, as Pimm’s makes a few varieties (which you really can’t get any but #1 in the US). I’ve never had one with rosemary syrup in it and at first was hesitant, but I grew to like it – it gave it a dry herbaciousness (is that a word?) which I think would make it more easily drinkable in quantity on a hot summer day than a sweeter version may be, though it still had a sweetness to it.

…and with that, I switched back to Toasted Lager, because I didn’t really need more liquor.

Tomorrow (Friday, May 30th) at 7 PM in the back bar they’ll be releasing some barrel-aged cocktails: Basil Hayden Manhattans and Makers 46 Sazeracs. I’m going to try to swing by because I’d like to see how they come out, so say hi if you see me!

– ?SeanMike

Well, that’s a whole lotta sodas!

I don’t remember when I stopped mixing with sodas for the most part, but by the time we started this here site I didn’t really do it a lot. That doesn’t mean others don’t – my brother, for instance, and my dad are big fans of it. I’ve also tried to cut back on most of my sodas with the whole “diabetes” thing I’ve gotta deal with.

The other night one of my friends I play Borderlands 2 with online asked about what to mix with his bottles of Bulleit and Eagle Rare. “Don’t mix the Bulleit!” I cried, but he pointed out that he wanted something he could drink for a while. I thought about it a bit and said, hey, this could make a post.

Let’s break them down a bit by types of soda, really.

Ginger Beer – man, I do love me some good ginger beer. Bourbon and ginger beer is a great combo, in my opinion. Obviously, the traditional however is rum and ginger beer (plus a bit of lime, and you’ve got yourself a stew a Dark and Stormy). With vodka, that’s a Moscow Mule, and if you’re a type of drinker who doesn’t dig on the taste of alcohol that might be the way to go – or use a lighter ginger beer/ale, like Q.

Cola – There are so many colas out there that this can be problematic. The Fentiman’s CherryTree cola is dying for some rye, in my opinion, but I don’t know if I’d mix their Curiousity Cola (I do like to give it to non-drinkers, as it’s quite delicious). Obviously, the “…and Coke” combo is a common one, and unless you’re still in college, I don’t want to hear about vodka and Pepsi. I would consider white whiskey and RC cola, but only if you eat a Moon Pie with it too (which I have done). Fernet and Coke is a popular South American combo.

Root Beer and Cream Soda – Spiced Rum. Or most kinds of rum.

Various specialty sodas – Now here’s where it gets fun. Vanilla bean soda? I’d do bourbon, or dark rum. Victorian lemonade? Bourbon for a riff off the “Lynchburg Lemonade”. Cola made with coffee? Spiced rum or maybe tequila or Mezcal.

Sprite or other lemon-lime sodas – Well, you can make SpriTequilas, but you better be good at your mixology game. Also try gin, Pimm’s and gin, or Calvados.

Soda water – Don’t make me punch you in the throat. Really. Asking me a question like that. Just add bitters to it, I GUESS.

What combos do you like? Comment to me on Facebook or on Twitter!

Ahem.

As you know, we don’t take advertisements here. We talk about what we want to talk about when we want to talk about it. Most press releases I get are deleted unread. (After all, most of them don’t even read our blog before sending them. Those who do and work with us we love.)

But Catoctin Creek is not only one of our local distilleries, but they make great products and they’re just goshdarn great folks – they helped sponsor our five year bash, for one. So when I heard Andrew Shapiro from Green Pig Bistro was going to be doing some cocktails there, I decided to trek out to Purcellville to visit.

Catoctin’s Stills

First off, if you haven’t been out there yet, I highly recommend going. It’s a gorgeous facility and downtown Purcellville is a charming area. I’d planned on getting lunch there, but I was running later than I would have liked for my afternoon “fun” (helping Marshall pack his liquor).

I chatted with Emily and Chad, two of their brand reps, when I came in as well as Andrew. He was making three drinks in a small flight for $10: a Rye Daisy, a Catoctin Stormy, and a Bubblelicious.

Bubblelicious, Rye Daisy, Catoctin Stormy

I drank them in order – thanks to VA ABC regulations, there’s no chance of having too much to drink at a tasting.

Bubblelicious
2 oz Mosby’s Spirit
1 oz falernum liqueur
3/4 oz hibiscus-grapefruit syrup

Shake ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled glass with ice.
Hibiscus-Grapefruit syrup:?Simmer 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water, 3/4 cup dried hibiscus flowers, and zest from 1/4 a grapefruit for 10 minutes. Strain. Keep refrigerated.

I was a big fan of that drink. It went down nice and easy. I’m also quite lazy, so I don’t know if I’d make the syrup, but I should try.

Behind their counter

Rye Daisy
2 oz Roundstone Rye
1 oz pine needle honey syrup
1/2 oz lemon juice
2 dashes Bitterman’s Boston Bittahs
Lemon slice

Shake ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled glass with ice. Garnish with the lemon slice.
Pine Needle Honey Syrup:?Simmer 1 cup water, 1 cup water, and 4-5 pine needles for 10 minutes. Keep refrigerated.

This one?was also tasty – a little different taste than I’m usually up for with the pine needle, but on a snowy day it seemed appropriate. Do I still have any Zirbenz, I wonder?

Dog treats!

Catoctin Stormy
2 oz Watershed Gin
Good quality ginger beer
3-4 dashes vanilla bitters
Lime wedge

Stir together in a glass with ice. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Emily had made the bitters and Andrew the ginger beer. Man, it was good. I really need to make my own ginger beer.

After hanging out a bit more it was time to head back to the ARL. Since I have basically all of their stuff already, I picked up a bag of dog treats made from spent rye for my brother’s dog and a cigar from the humidor.

Passenger’s bottling of Roundstone Rye

The next day the folks from the Passenger went out there to bottle their barrel of Roundstone Rye. I happened to be at the Passenger when they came back (I KNOW AMAZING) and so I got a chance to try their specific bottling.

I’m telling you what folks – it’s damn good. I’m jealous. It has a buttery taste to it that just makes it so quaffable. AND YES THAT’S A WORD FELLOW BAR PATRONS.

Catoctin Creek is having their 5 year anniversary party and unveiling this bottling on Saturday, February 15th, at the Passenger. There will be giveaways and such starting at 8, though things will start going when the doors open at 5. You can be assured I will be there, as unlike some people named Marshall, I do not have to move.

Also in relation to both the Passenger and CCDC, Alex Bookless will be doing their next bartending gig on March 8th out at the tasting room from 12-4. I’m going to the Brewer’s Ball that night, but should have time to swing by beforehand…

One of the most useful guides I’ve found to Scotch whiskys is one with them all on a chart by smokey, peaty, etc. I hadn’t looked for one like that for American whiskeys, but this chart is almost as good. And then we got a pitch that made me want to talk about it…

Ya see, we get a lot of pitches here (and later this week we’re going to talk about that, too, in case you’re one of the kind of folks who send them to us). And I love talking to new distilleries!

But what a lot of people don’t know is that in the bourbon world especially, not all “distilleries” are made the same. After all, it takes four years of aging to have legal bourbon – how do you make money in the meantime? You either sell vodka, gin, other unaged spirits, or (god help me) white dog (sigh), or you buy it from another distiller.

This chart tells you exactly where many of your favorite bourbons and ryes come from:

THE GQ CHART OF THE BOURBON FAMILY TREE (insert dramatic music here)

(That link will pop up in a new window — check it out, keep it open, and come back here.)

So let’s talk about some of those brands, if we may. I’ll try not to rehash the notes at the bottom of that story, but they are important.

Buffalo Trace: If you remember from my Bourbon Trail stories, that was the first distillery we went to in Kentucky. Personally, on this tree I did find the Pappy overpriced; Blanton’s was my first good bourbon (like many other people) but I don’t drink it much anymore. That W. L. Weller 12, the Ancient Age 10 – those are some good deals. The Elmer T. Lee, Buffalo Trace, and Eagle Rare 10 aren’t bad values, either.

Jim Beam: I’ve admitted before I’m not a huge Jim Beam fan, but Kessler is cheap as heck and not bad at all. Don’t start the night with it, but you might find yourself ending the night too many times if you buy it by the handle (like I just did). Around here, Old Overholt is a popular shot (that I can’t do more than a few of) but I thought since the beginning that Ri1 or however they spell it is overpriced. And, since Beam owns Maker’s, well, Maker’s is a fine, mild but sweet, bourbon. Maker’s 46, which I’m still not entirely convinced should be called bourbon by definition, is not worth it in my opinion.

I’m going to skip the?Brown-Forman group – I can’t stand Woodford, myself, and Jack Daniels is a love it/leave it type of spirit. I will point out in the?Heaven Hill trees that I am a fan of the Henry McKenna, and the Larceny is growing on me.

Four Roses is one of my go-to bourbons at all levels for value and taste. I found it amusing when I found out that Bulleit’s bourbon is sourced from there, though my source by way of multiple other parties (and thus should be taken with a grain of salt) indicated they don’t inquire as to what Bulleit does with the whiskey after they get it.

Speaking of Bulleit, I had no idea that?Dickel made their rye. It kind of explains a bit. EDIT: Thanks to Sylvan for pointing out that I misread the chart. Both Dickel and Bulleit rye appear to be made by LDI/MGP; that explains (to me) why I feel like they taste similar. I haven’t tasted them side by side though in a while, which might make for a good follow-up.

Cutting over to?Wild Turkey, I don’t see their ryes listed, but their 101 proof is good. And I’m guessing that they’re saying Templeton and Redemption are a combination with LDI/MGP? Which brings me to…

LDI/MGP?and?Willett. Both of these make lots of whiskeys you might not associate with their labels, and, in my opinion, in kind of opposite manners to me, as a consumer. Personally, I find most of the LDI/MGP brands to be … boring. They seem rather similar I’ve figured out over the years. There’s nothing necessarily?wrong with that, per se, but I get a “meh” feeling when I hear something is from LDI even though it might be perfectly fair on its own.

Willett, on the other hand, I’ve had the advantage of drinking a lot of via hand-picked barrels thanks to Ledroit here in DC. Like Anthony’s post last week, I’ve had some fantastic whiskeys from them. I’ve had some less than fantastic, but their Pot Still, and many of their other “lower” blends, I like a lot, and I’ve had good luck with the more expensive stuff. I have not, however, had Rowan’s Creek, Michter’s, or Noah’s Mill.

I also had a great time on that distillery tour, it was very friendly and fun. It and Four Roses are kind of two distinct type of distilleries that I found much more engaging than the others we visited.

Anyways, if you haven’t seen the chart, check it out, and see where your favorite whiskeys fit. If they’re not on there, do a bit of research on them. Maybe you’ll find something else you’ll like!

– ?SeanMike

Every whiskey enthusiast has a collection. For the folks of Scofflaw?s Den, these collections can be large and even appear a little hoarder-ish.

So when one of us is looking to finish off a bottle you?re going to want to be around. Liquor, after all, is made to be drunken.

This week, our friend Sean Mike shared a bottle of Willett Single Barrel Rye Whiskey at The Passenger near Chinatown.

Ledroit Brands, Washington D.C.?s current Willett distributor, dubbed this share ?The Iron Fist.? How could you resist a name like that?

If you are unfamiliar about how this works, Kentucky Bourbon Distiller (KBD) brand makes entire barrels of their whiskey available for purchase. If you can afford that type of indulgence and really love whiskey this might be a great investment.

The Iron Fist was distilled in Bardstown, Kentucky and aged in oak for 23 years.

Each of these distinct Willett-labeled Ledroit whiskeys were given a unique and unconventional name. The Iron Fist?s presumed counterpart, for instance, is named ?The Velvet Glove.?

Others names include ?Orange Blossom Special,? No Chemists Allowed,? ?Cocoa Loco,? ?Suspension Bridge,? and more.

Cask strength is always a little difficult for me when trying to parse out flavors. But, one major takeaway about this particular bottle of hooch was how I felt the taste very much lived up to its name.

Caramel, vanilla, and spice are always the most obvious characteristics coming from any bottle of whiskey. Some express toffee. You could find these in this Willett.

For me, however, there was a tinge of brininess hidden at the very end which put the brakes on those sweet-associated flavors. I have mostly gotten this element from single malt scotches.

The burn on my mouth was an easy one. It never really muted the flavor and even handed them off to me in a much smoother way than many of the other cask strength whiskies I have tasted.

Most of those whiskies completely blow out my taste buds. It really gives you appreciation for dilution. This whiskey leaves quite an impression despite its strength.

Speaking of which, I really need to dilute my own collection of booze that has been collecting dust in my apartment. Maybe, it is time I shared a few bottles of my own?

I am a bartender at Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington DC and this bar houses over 1,500 bottles of whiskey. Yes you are reading this correctly, over 1,500 bottles of American bourbon, rye, single malt scotch, Irish whiskey, Canadian whisky, Japanese whisky and many more international whiskeys. Name a bottle of whiskey you love and odds are we have it, plus many more options you probably have never heard of. To give you an idea of the vastness of the collection I work with, we have over fifteen different types of Macallans to offer.

It?s incredible! So, have I always loved whiskey? Where did my knowledge come from? How did I ?stumble? upon this job which is geared around recommending this fabulous libation?

The truth is I did not always love whisky. It all began as I delved deeper into learning how to be more creative with all types of spirits, liqueurs, spices, juices, syrups, etc. What differentiates a good bartender from a great one is their ability to create a cocktail on demand that is a reflection of whatever the customer?s whim or wish may be. My journey to falling in love with whiskey began with making cocktails for customers, including a great deal of whiskey. The more cocktails I made, the more my taste palate developed. I began to understand the small and large nuances between whiskies in terms of the entire tasting experience. This includes starting and lingering tasting notes, smells, textures, and overall mouth feel.

I quickly became obsessed with trying as many whiskies as possible, as I wanted to understand how each one could affect an entire cocktail?s flavor profile. What better place than to expand my knowledge than at Jack Rose Dining Saloon. As every bartender?s dream with so many options available to create with, this place became my playground. I fell in love with whiskey pretty quickly and there is no turning back.

For only being 26 years old, my taste palate is that of an old man or a middle-aged man, but I do not despair. I want to share my passion for whiskey with you. If you don?t understand, it?s time to sit down and have a flight of whisky. Item number one: TASTE.

I often use music as a metaphor to whiskey. I try to entice new beginners who are apprehensive about trying whiskey by pointing out that one cannot say they hate all music. There must be one song out there you love? The same goes for exploring the world of whiskey. What people too often fail to realize is that the world of whiskey is so vast and has so many options for you to try. Many people do not realize what is available to them. What are you waiting for?

My tip for enjoying whiskey:: Keep tasting as many as possible because the options are endless.

I’ll leave the political comments off of the blog, but I will say one thing: the next day is the election, so you can go to the Passenger, booze it up, go to work late the next day and tell your boss “I was voting”. I can’t do that, because I voted early, but if you also vote early, you’ll have the sticker to prove it!

I’m just saying.

(And a special hint: both Brown brothers are supposed to be behind the bar, along with JP Featherston and Alex Bookless, so really, get your butt in there and drink yo’ face off. IT’S FOR CHARITY!)

Second, in the spirit of giving, the Passenger hosted our five year anniversary party a couple of weeks ago. We raised a couple of hundred bucks for our charities (the Museum of the American Cocktail and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation) and had an overall great time. Many thanks to our sponsors: The Passenger, Chartreuse and Edinburgh Gin, Whisked Bakery, Diep 9 genever, Catoctin Creek, and Chairman’s Reserve Rum.

Now my drink came in second to Marshall’s in voting, but since Hurricane Sandy is about to give our area a punch to the nose, it seems appropriately named and timed for me to give you my drink.

Dark Storms Travelling Slowly
2 ounces Chairman’s Reserve Rum (gold)
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/4 ounce allspice dram
2 dashes Bittermens Hellfire Habanero Shrub
Shake ingredients together and pour into a highball glass unstrained. Top with two parts ginger beer, one part soda water. Garnish with a wheel of lime.

(Also see this news article for the origins of the acronym I used.)

Yes, it says “whiskey” here but they insist it’s “whisky”.

Third, also in the spirit of giving, thanks to Joe at Taylor Strategy I was sent a sample of George Dickel rye whisky. (No “e”! Except on the sample bottle. Oops!)

The aroma out of the bottle was nice. Kind of sweet. I poured some into a glass and tried it straight.

It’s … different than a lot of ryes I’ve had. My very first taste, I liked it at first, then the after taste I did not care for. However, my second and third tastes I liked a lot better, and got the impression it has a different over all “build” to the taste than a lot of ryes have. I haven’t played with it in a cocktail yet but I’ll probably make a Manhattan and/or a Sazerac at some point this weekend OH MY GOODNESS I FORGOT TO STOCK UP ON VERMOUTH BEFORE THE FRANKENSTORM I HOPE THERE IS STILL SOME TOMORROW AT THE STORE!

(Any rumors that I might have also done a “Gangnam Style” tasting, dancing around in my house with no pants on and listening to the song while drinking Dickel rye out of the sample bottle, may be completely and utterly true.)

So I’m off to finish preparing for Sandy’s vengeful wrath upon DC. Have a great weekend everyone! And hopefully see you November 5th!

This Independence Day, at least here in the Washington, DC area, has been marked with a record setting heat wave and levels of humidity that almost necessitate a scuba tank. It’s seriously hot around here!

So while lounging around the Den yesterday watching Jaws & Independence Day, I, of course, whipped up a few refreshing beverages that really beat the heat. The names are less than desirable, but my brain was like fudge.

One thing about drinking when it is this hot out, I want ice & lots of it. So I tend to drink tiki drinks and long drinks in chimney glasses that will keep the heat at bay for a little while. These drinks definitely fit that mold.

For the first drink I wanted to utilize some of the great looking peaches I got at the market. And when I think about peaches and summer drinks my mind instinctively goes to whiskey. So this is what I came up with.

Peach-Whiskey Cooler
Muddle 1/4 of a fresh peach with .75oz simple syrup.
Add:
1oz fresh lemon juice
1oz Bonded Applejack
1.5oz Rye whiskey
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 dash Fee Brother’s Peach Bitters

Shake and double strain into an ice filled chimney glass. Add soda water to fill and gently stir. Garnish with mint, a slice of peach and/or some lemon peel.

This drink fit the bill perfectly. You may think that the whiskey & applejack make this a heavier drink but in reality it is very light. The peach, lemon & soda mixture make this incredibly refreshing and the rye and applejack give just enough body to let you know you’re enjoying a potant potable.

The next drink I came up because I wanted to have a little English gin during my Independence Day celebration. I had a pink grapefruit hanging around and knew that some of the fresh rosemary we have growing on the balcony would be a great tasting mix.

Grapefruit-Rosemary Cooler
Muddle a 4 inch strip of grapefruit peel, a 2 inch stalk of rosemary and 1 oz simple syrup.

Add to that:
1.25 oz fresh grapefruit juice
2 oz gin (I used Beefeater 24)
2 dashes Bittermen’s Burlesque Bitters

Shake & double strain into an ice filled chimney glass. Top with soda water to fill and gently stir to combine. Garnish with some grapefruit peel & rosemary.

This was great! Light and citrusy without being cloyingly sweet. I could drink these all day during this heat wave.

So what kind of drinks do you make to beat the heat? Leave us your suggestions in the comments.

Cheers!