May 30, 2017
Hello end-of-May-ers (hopefully different from end-of-day-ers). As you end your month, you may be thinking – hmm, I think I might have missed some of A.J.’s recent posts on Seattle magazine? And just in case you’re right in your thinking, well, I’ve rounded up a few choice tidbits that fall into the category you were thinking about below. At least I think.
• Three Impressions of the Nook
• Celebrate Spring with New Releases From Local Distilleries
• Three Impressions of Little Tin
• Wake up Right with Better Brunch Drinks
• Local and Inventive Shot-and-a-Beer Pairings
September 30, 2016
This, oh, topical drink goes far back for me. I created it for my very first drink book, Party Drinks, way back in 2003. In hindsight, it’s really just mini-variations on about 10,000 other drinks, starting with the whiskey sour and moving forwards, sidewards, and backwards. But I still dig it, and still love calling it the Presidential cause it’s such a boon to election seasons when you sometimes need a drink with a bit of a wallop underlying strong citrus and some sweet to make everything more cuddly.
However, to do it right, you need a bourbon you believe in (hey, I also sound election-y). I had mine this time with WA-state Heritage Distillery’s Duel Barrel Bourbon (which is only available at Total Wine & More, but that store is nearly nationwide, so track it down). It’s aged in charred new American oak barrels first, then in whiskey barrels that have held small batches of pure vanilla extract. As you’d expect, it has some vanilla notes, but not annoyingly so, and also some nice spice and oak. It really mingles well with lime, which surprised me for a second (until remembering that rum, lime’s cocktail partner on many occasions, often also has vanilla happening). Here, it all comes together. Trust me!
You may find this drink helpful over the next month and so. I suggest serving it in a tennis-themed glass, as elections are sometimes, oh, tennis-y as things are batted, knocked, and hit back and forth.
The Presidential
Ice cubes
2-1/2 ounces Heritage Distilling Duel Barrel Bourbon
3/4 ounce freshly-squeeze lime juice
1 ounce simple syrup (you could easily go less if you wanted, and older me might even suggest it, however after a big presidential debate, for example, I often feel I deserve the extra sugar)
Lime slice, for garnish
1. Fill a cocktail shaker or mixing glass halfway full with ice cubes. Add the bourbon, juice, and simple. Shake well.
2. Add a good amount of ice cubes, or one or two really large cubes, to an Old Fashioned glass. Strain the mix through a fine strainer over the ice. Garnish, turn off the TV, and drink happily.
Tags: bourbon, cocktail recipe, Cocktail Recipes, Friday Night Cocktail, Heritage Distilling, Heritage Distilling Duel Barrel Bourbon, lime-mint simple syrup, Party Drinks, The Presidential, Washington distillers, What I’m Drinking
Posted in: Cocktail Recipes, Party Drinks, Recipes, What I'm Drinking, Whiskey
September 6, 2016
Hey, guess what? I’ve written some fun and exciting (well, I think so!) items about booze, bars, and booze for the mighty Seattle magazine lately, and just in case you might have missed them (which would make me sad), I’m going to list them right here and now:
• German Cocktails at Altstadt, Vote for Local Distillers and More
• Three Impressions of Corvus & Co.
• New Gin from Wildwood Spirits and More Distillery News
• Super Chilly Summer Drinks in Seattle Bars
• Three Impressions of The Nest
* See all Seattle magazine pieces by me
December 22, 2015
If you live in WA State, you should be excited – for about 10,000 reasons, though here I’m talking about our explosion of interesting, tasty, and fun distilleries. Hopefully you’re already drinking drinks utilizing the bottles put out by our worthy distilleries. If not, then check out a piece I recently wrote for the stalwart Seattle magazine, 7 Must-Have Bottles for Stocking Your At-Home Bar. If you don’t live in the W-A, well, come visit, so you can also stock your home bar in a manner that’ll make you feel all sorts of happy.
September 22, 2015
I know, it’s September. That doesn’t mean it’s cold yet. But, but, but, I can feel the cold in the mornings when I walk the best dogs in the world around one of the best blocks in the world, feel that cold behind my ears, people! Which means I want to warm up a bit, and one of the good ways is with some rums from Washington State! Don’t believe me? Read this rummy piece I wrote for the sweet Seattle magazine, called 6 Washington Rums that Bring the Beach to You. Really, you should drink some rum while reading. Though you haven’t read it yet, so you may not know which rums to drink? Hmm, this is a conundrum. I may have to have more rum to think it over.
January 20, 2015
Moonshine has made a huge comeback onto legal liquor store shelves lately, and much of it is pretty darn swell, dropping the burns-you-all-the-way-down personality for one of tasty-but-strong. And guess what? Washington State has some of the finest ‘shine around. Learn more in a moonshine article I recently wrote for Seattle magazine.
*Read Washington Moonshines to Drink Now
