Tag: scotch

Bluegrass Cocktails: The Wayfaring Stranger

Posted on by Editor

While countless artists have taken to recording their own renditions of this classic folk tune, only one has taken it as his namesake: Burl Ives, the prominent actor, banjoist, and, above all, folk and country singer. It was often you’d see the man with a pipe in his mouth, so we created a cocktail that evokes something similarly smokey (Scotch), rich (vermouth), and just a touch sweet (honey), with added complexity from the absinthe. A mournful spiritual calls for a more serious cocktail, and the Wayfaring Stranger is just that.

INGREDIENTS
2 oz Scotch (preferably something peaty like Laphroiag)
1 bar spoon honey
2 bar spoons sweet vermouth
2 dashes absinthe

DIRECTIONS
Add ingredients to rocks glass with ice and stir to combine. Garnish with lemon twist.

Bluegrass Cocktails: Blue Moon of Kentucky

Posted on by Editor

Bourbon is a no-brainer for any cocktail with “Kentucky” in its name, but this cocktail ups the whiskey ante with the addition of Scotch. Inspired by the blue moon (in part, the second full moon in a calendar month), the Blue Moon of Kentucky features two whiskeys in its recipe. The drink is soft and light from the frothy egg white (which you can skip, if it makes you squeamish), and the lavender brings out both whiskeys’ floral qualities. What’s more, the frothy egg white serves as a canvas for a little bitters “art” — perfect for wowing guests.

INGREDIENTS
1 oz bourbon
1 oz blended Scotch
3/4 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz lavender simple syrup
Egg white
Angostura bitters for garnish

Lavender Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 water
1 tbsp food-grade lavender flowers

DIRECTIONS
Heat water with lavender in a saucepan. Once the water reaches a near-boil, strain out lavender and add sugar. Stir the mixture until sugar is dissolved, and refrigerate. Add ingredients (except bitters) to shaker without ice. Shake vigorously for three seconds to emulsify egg white. Add ice and shake until cold, then strain into coupe glass. Garnish with bitters.