January 13, 2023

What I’m Drinking: My Final Offer

Here’s a nice kettle of booze. Perhaps (due to its minty-crushed-ice-y-fruit-y nature) this is more of a spring and early summer – or late summer – number? But I was feeling the need for some summer feeling, and so decided to revisit it as a mid-winter splash of sunshine. And really, the whiskey base certainly helps warm those winter blues. Maybe it should just be had on sunny winter days? Or maybe whenever one darn well feels like it! Drinking should be fun and not an ever-involved thought exercise, anyway. The first time I made this, I utilized Tommyrotter Distillery Triple Barrel American whiskey (which had happily shown up via the post), but this time I wanted to try a bourbon, and wanted to go local, and so went with Woodinville Whiskey’s award-winning (and always reliable!) Straight Bourbon. The slight sweetness and memorable spice went decidedly well with the fruit and mint notes (might be hard in winter to find good mint, depending on where you are, but stick with it! To the bold come the spoils and all that) I felt. Really, a lush lovely drink, no matter when drunk.

final-answer

My Final Offer

 

1-1/2 ounces Woodinville Whiskey Company Straight Bourbon

3/4 ounces Rothman & Winter Orchard apricot liqueur 

2 dashes Fee Brothers Peach bitters

Crushed ice

4-1/2 ounces club soda

Mint sprig, for garnish

 

1. Fill a cocktail shaker or mixing glass halfway full with ice cubes. Add the whiskey, liqueur, and bitters. Stir well.

2. Fill a highball or comparable glass with crushed ice (or cracked if needs must). Strain the mix from above into the glass.

3. Top with the club soda. Garnish with the mint.

September 18, 2009

Chow Tip #2: What Ice is Nice

Following up on my Chow tip-a-thon started below, here’s a second tip to take you into your weekend (the urge to write “don’t take any wooden nickels” is almost unbearable. Like being chased by a big cliché bear through a forest of old carneys. Or something like that), a tip where I talk about ice, which is probably important for every single weekend. But really, the main reason to watch this clip (outside of the pure beauty of it, thanks for which goes to the Chow folks themselves, cause they are the awesomeness) is for the close up of my Pug muddle smacking that ice around. It’s made of Mexican rosewood (also called bocote) and is the best muddler in the world. Gawd, it’s so lovely I sometimes sleep with it under my pillow so I have good muddling dreams. If you don’t have a Pug muddler, then I suggest you get one, though it won’t be as cool as mine, it may be the second best muddle in the world. Just email the friendly Chris Gallagher, who makes them all by hand, at jcgallagher08 at hotmail dot com. Now, as Iceman would say, “Ice On!” (Okay, he probably never said that. But should have).

Rathbun on Film