We’re humbled and proud that WhiskyCast’s Mark Gillespie is the winner of the International Wine & Spirits Competition’s 2023 Spirits Communicator Trophy. Thanks to all of you for listening along with our sponsors. Without your support over the years, this wouldn’t have been possible and we are truly grateful!
Many press releases from firms representing whisky brands, bars, or restaurants come with a cocktail recipe or two. Rather than waste the hard work of bartenders who created those recipes, we’re sharing them with the WhiskyCast community here. Recipes provided by whisky companies and their PR firms will be identified as such, and just because a recipe specifies a certain brand doesn’t mean you can’t use what you already have at home.
April 26, 2013 – Wild Turkey provided us with this recipe for an American Honey Julep created by Tinika Green of New York City’s Blue Smoke:
2 ounces Wild Turkey 81
1 ounce Wild Turkey American Honey
1 and a half ounces of Lemon juice
Mint Sprigs
Crushed Ice
Slap the mint springs in the palm of your hand to release oils. Tear them into pieces and add to a shaker filled with all other ingredients and ice cubes. Shake vigorously. Pour over crushed ice and garnish with a sprig of mint.
April 26, 2013 – Wild Turkey provided the recipe for a Bourbon Mojito created by Jeff Shaw of Bourbons Bistro in Louisville:
Muddled mint, lime, and simple syrup
3 ounces Wild Turkey 101
House Sour mix
Top with Ginger Beer
January 11, 2013 – Travis Fourmont of Roast in Detroit won the 2013 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Experience competition with this recipe that he shared with us in Episode 406 of WhiskyCast:
2 ounces of Woodford Reserve
1/2 ounce Italian Amaro
1/2 ounce Cherry Heering
1/2 ounce Campari
4 dashes of orange bitters
October 3, 2012 – William Grant & Sons provided this recipe featuring its Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt:
1 part Monkey Shoulder
.75 parts ginger syrup
.75 parts fresh lemon juice
Top with beer
Add all ingredients other than beer to shaker, shake well with ice. Strain into beer glass and top with beer.
October 3, 2012 – This recipe was created for William Grant & Sons by Kim Haasarud of Liquid Architecture:
2 sage leaves, plus additional for garnish
0.75 part dark amber maple syrup
0.75 part lemon juice
1 egg white
2.5 parts Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey
Muddle the two sage leaves with the maple syrup and lemon juice. Add the egg white. Dry shake (without ice) until the egg white is emulsified. Add the Bourbon. Top with ice and shake hard for 10 seconds. Strain the cocktail into a lowball glass filled with new ice. Garnish with the remaining sage.
August 17, 2012 – With the London Olympics in mind, Glenfiddich U.S. brand manager Lindsay Prociw came up with this summer cocktail:
One part Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch
One part apple juice
One part ginger ale
Serve in a highball glass with crushed ice
Garnish with your dreams for your next big goal.
June 26, 2012 – Rob Samuels Jr. of Maker’s Mark shared his father’s recipe for the “Perfect Manhattan” in an email to Maker’s Mark Ambassadors:
1 and a half parts of Maker’s Mark Bourbon
1/2 part Sweet Vermouth
1 teaspoon of Maraschino Cherry juice
1 Maraschino Cherry
Shake the Maker’s Mark, vermouth, and cherry juice together for 30 seconds, then strain into a chilled Manhattan glass. Garnish with the cherry, and serve straight up with no ice.
August 30, 2008 – In Episode 160 of WhiskyCast, “King of the Cocktail” Dale DeGroff gave us his recipe for the classic Sazerac:
Start with two rocks or “Old Fashioned” glasses, fill one with crushed ice and set it aside.
In the second glass, put 4-5 dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters and a sugar cube, then use a muddler to turn that into a paste.
Add ice cubes, then a “hefty shot” of Rye whiskey, then stir well until completely mixed and chilled.
Dump the crushed ice from the first glass, then splash a “good portion” of Absinthe into the glass so that it covers the entire inside, then dump any leftover liquid in the glass.
Pour the mixture from the second glass into the first while straining the ice, and garnish with a lemon twist.
Note: in the interview, Dale recommends splashing the Absinthe into the second glass, then tossing it into the air while shouting “Saz-er-aaac!”. This is a feat best left to professionals, and we recommend that you not try this at home.
