These days, a classic gin and tonic or bourbon and Coke isn’t going to cut it at a dinner or cocktail party. We asked some local professionals who dabble in the tipple for some cocktail recipes that are as interesting as they are intoxicating.
- Pure Blue Vodka and recently released Oak Rum – both produced at Barrel House Distilling Company on Manchester Street – can give your cocktails a local touch. Shown here: The Winchester (left) and an Oak Rum Old Fashioned. PHOTOS BY ABBY LAUB
Jeff Wiseman at Barrel House Distilling Co.
The Winchester
• 1.5 oz. of Pure Blue Vodka
• 3 oz. Ale8One soda
• Splash of orange juice
• Ice
• Orange slice
A creation by Jeff Wiseman’s business partner and fellow Barrel House owner Pete Wright, The Winchester combines Pure Blue Vodka –– Lexington’s first vodka and Barrel House’s inaugural distilled spirit –– with a ubiquitous Kentucky soda.
Combine the Pure Blue Vodka with Ale8One, orange juice and ice. Stir, pour and garnish with an orange slice. Wise-man said The Winchester is a great “anytime drink” and said substituting the store-bought orange juice for fresh squeezed oranges will enhance the flavor.
“It’s a nice refreshing summertime drink, and it’s easy to make,” he said. “There are not a lot of crazy ingredients.”
Oak Rum Old Fashioned
• 2 oz. Oak Rum
• 1 sugar cube
• 1 maraschino or fresh cherry
• Slice of orange
• 2-3 dashes of bitters
Muddle the orange, cherry and sugar cube in the glass until the sugar cube is completely crushed. Add ice, then pour the remaining ingredients over the mixture and stir.
Wiseman joked that the strong, easy-to-make Oak Rum Old Fashioned is another “anytime drink.” While bourbon is the typical spirit associated with an Old Fashioned, the dark, 105-proof rum, which has been aged in bourbon barrels, adds a hint of bourbon and charred oak flavor. The just-released Oak Rum recently won first place by the American Distillers Institute for the amber rum category.
Barrel House has more recipes available online at www.barrelhousedistillery.com. The products are available at many independent retailers as well as Liquor Barn.
Trish Tungate at The Dish
Proud Mary
• 2 oz. of infused vodka (see below for infusing suggestions and directions)
