wWw Gift Guide: For Whiskey Readers

Whether you're shopping for yourself or the whiskey lovers in your life, let us help you find that perfect gift! In this guide, we'll show you some of our favorite whiskey books! Check out our gift guides for Home & Bar, Apparel & Accessories, and Our Favorite Drams from this year!

Browse Cocktail Kingdom's collection of cocktail, whiskey, spirits, and mixology books.

Whiskey Distilled // Heather Greene

Tasting Whiskey // Lew Bryson

Whiskey Notes // Kings County Distillery

Guide to Urban Moonshining // Kings County Distillery

The Drunken Botanist // Amy Stewart

The Essential Scratch & Sniff // Richard Betts

American Whiskey, Bourbon & Rye // Clay Risen

wWw Gift Guide: Apparel & Accessories

Whether you're shopping for yourself or the whiskey lovers in your life, let us help you find that perfect gift! In this guide, we'll show you some of our favorite whiskey-related accessories & apparel pieces! Check out our gift guides for Home & Bar, for the Whiskey Reader, and Our Favorite Drams from this year! 

"Where's My Whiskey?" T-Shirt // Etsy

Bourbon Barrel Earrings // Etsy

"My Other Beer is Bourbon" T-Shirt // Etsy

Bourbon Barrel Cufflinks // Etsy

Whiskey Hat // Zazzle

Flask Bangle // Cynthia Rowley

Flask & Collapsible Shot Glass // Amazon

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Whiskey Business Tank // Buy Me Brunch

wWw Gift Guide: For the Home & Bar

 

Whether you're shopping for yourself or the whiskey lovers in your life, let us help you find that perfect gift! In this guide, we'll show you some of our favorite pieces for home and bar. Check out our gift guides for Apparel & Accessories, for the Whiskey Reader, and Our Favorite Drams from this year! 

WHISKEY Gold Foil Print // Love & Victory

For the happy couple: "Ours" Decanter Set (His/His, Hers/Hers, His/Hers glasses) // Love & Victory

For the single guy/gal: "Mine/Also Mine" Decanter Set // Love & Victory

Brass & Mirror Bar Cart // West Elm

Leopold Coupe // Cocktail Kingdom

Glencairn Tasting & Nosing Glass // Amazon

This Might Be Whiskey Mug // Etsy

"Messy Hair, Whiskey Neat" Print Download // Etsy

An Intimate Evening with Far North Spirits

Early this Spring, a select group of wWw ladies gathered at Grand Ferry Tavern in Brooklyn, NY for the opportunity to sample different expressions of the single estate whiskey Roknar Rye from Far North Spirits. The ladies were able to share personal stories about their love of whiskey, their reasons for joining wWw, as well as learn about the unique history of Far North Spirits while meeting the distiller, Michael Swanson, who is also the farmer who grows the grains used to make this flavorful spirit.

Far North Spirits is a field-to-glass craft distillery in northwestern Minnesota. Michael’s great grandpa Gustaf and his wife Anna Christine arrived in Minnesota from Sweden building a farm on the fertile soil. They now produce small-batch spirits using the grains grown on their family farm. Michael’s wife, Cheri, led us through a tasting of 3 expressions of Roknar Rye. Her love for their 100-year-old family farm, the quality of the product they have produced, and their ability to share it with us was very apparent as she became emotional telling us the beautiful history of the distillery.

Here are the 3 expressions we tasted that night:

• Expression 1

Batch 1/ 95 Proof- filled December 2014; bottled November 2015, 23 barrels, 230 cases

Mash bill: 80% AC Hazlet Winter Rye, 10% heirloom & organic corn (non-GMO varieties), 10% malt barley

Aged 10 months in new, 10-gallon charred oak barrels from The Barrel Mill in Avon, Minnesota; char 3 on the barrel

Finished 6 weeks in Oloroso Sherry (50%) and Cognac (50%) casks

• Expression 2

Batch R/ 91 Proof- filled June 2014; bottled February 2016, single barrel, 20 cases (only available in NY, CA and MN)

Mash bill: 80% AC Hazlet Winter Rye, 10% heirloom & organic corn (non-GMO varieties), 10% malt barley

Aged 18 months in a new 23-gallon toasted and charred oak barrel from Black Swan in Park Rapids, MN; char 3

Finished briefly in Oloroso Sherry and Cognac casks (entire barrel in each cask for equal amount of time)

• Expression 3

Batch 2/ 94 Proof- filled May 2015; bottled May 10-13, 2016, 36 barrels, approx 350 cases 

Mash bill: 80% AC Hazlet Winter Rye, 10% heirloom & organic corn (non-GMO varieties), 10% malt barley

Aged 11 months in new, 10-gallon charred oak barrels from The Barrel Mill; char 3 on the barrel

Finished 4 weeks in Cognac (60%) and Oloroso Sherry (40%) casks

My personal favorite was Batch R. The color is a rich amber. The nose is sweet & delicate with hints of toffee, caramel, & spice. The taste is youthful but balanced with sweet notes to start and a peppery spicy finish that is not at all harsh or overwhelming.

Upon leaving Grand Ferry Tavern there was a noticeable buzz in the air with a number of our ladies conceding that this was their favorite wWw event thusfar. You will not go wrong with any expression of Far North Spirits’ Roknar Rye. Below I have listed a few NY bars that feature Roknar Rye. For a full list of locations please visit their website.

 Agern Restaurant- NY, NY

Blue Smoke-Flatiron- NY, NY

Grand Ferry Tavern- Brooklyn, NY

Flight West- Rochester, NY

Henry’s Restaurant- NY, NY

Le Bernardin- NY, NY

Maiden Lane- NY, NY

Post Office- Brooklyn, NY

Reynards-Wythe Hotel- Brooklyn, NY

Romans- Brooklyn, NY

Terra Blues- NY, NY

Woodhull Winebar-Brooklyn, NY

J.P. Wiser's Rye Series No. 1: Caramel Crisps

J.P. Wiser’s is a family of Canadian whiskies, who pride themselves in using high quality ingredients & distinguished craftsmanship to produce premium products. J.P. Wiser’s whisky is aged for a minimum of 3 years in white oak barrels to produce a light & smooth taste. Today I’m featuring J.P. Wiser’s Rye in a deliciously sweet and crunchy treat. Their rye has a well-balanced, full-flavor profile with a rich aroma. Tasting notes include oak, toasted grains, & rich toffee. Enjoy this rye neat or on the rocks while snacking on the caramel crisps.

J.P. Wiser’s Rye Caramel Crisps

Ingredients:

Caramel Sauce:

• 2 cups Sugar

• ½ cup Water (optional, helps prevent burning)

• 1 stick of Butter

• 1 cup (1/2 pint) Heavy Cream

• 2-3 tbsp. J.P. Wiser’s Rye (to taste)

• Pinch of salt (optional)

Crisps:

• 17-3/4 x 12-7/8 Half-Sized Sheet Pan

• 1-½ sleeves of Original Saltine Crackers

• 10 oz. bag of Dark Chocolate Chips

• 1-½ cups of Pecans, crushed (substitute with your favorite nut)

Directions:

For the Rye Caramel:

Simmer 2 cups of Sugar and ½ cup Water over medium heat, for about 20 minutes, stirring with a silicone (non-stick) utensil, or swirling pan occasionally until sugar and water have blended. Once the water has evaporated, the sugar will begin to crystalize. At this point, add the 1 stick of Butter and continue to stir until blended with the sugar. The sugar/butter mixture will melt and start to caramelize. Once the caramel has reached an amber color, turn off the burner, remove the pan from heat and slowly add 1 cup of Heavy Cream while continuing to stir. Add pinch of Salt and 2-3 tbsp. of J.P. Wiser’s Rye and place back on the burner at very low heat, for ~2 minutes while continuing to stir. If keeping the caramel for something other than J.P. Wiser's Caramel Crisps, transfer to a heat-safe dish or jar and let cool. Store covered in the refrigerator. You will want to bring the caramel to room temperature or heat in the microwave before serving. For J.P. Wiser's Caramel Crisps you can keep the caramel in the pan, off of heat, and continue with the instructions that follow.

For the crisps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line the sheet pan with parchment paper; arrange a single row of Saltine Crackers on top of the paper. You may have to cut some crackers to fill in the space along the edges.
3. Pour the Rye Caramel Sauce over the crackers, shaking the pan gently to spread the caramel around.
4. Place the baking tray in the oven, back for ~12-14 minutes, checking periodically to make sure the caramel is not burning.
5. Remove the tray from the oven then sprinkle with the Dark Chocolate Chips. Place tray back in the oven for 2 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt, then remove from oven and use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate evenly over the crackers.
6. Top the melted chocolate with the crushed Pecans, then place back in the oven for 2 minutes.
7. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and let cool until chocolate has become solid again.
8. Cut into wedges and serve.
9. Store in cool place with wax paper or parchment paper between slices to prevent sticking.

St. Patrick's Piñavera

My earliest memories of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day recall snow. A lot of snow. Whether in Boston or in Montreal, mid-March was still considered the depths of winter, and St. Paddy’s Day celebrations were conducted accordingly: winter parkas and whiskey neat.

So this unusually summer-like weather we’ve been having in New York—a high of 72 on Thursday!—is leaving me a bit at a loss for how to properly honor everyone’s favorite Irish holiday.

Finally, this week brought inspiration. I was invited to spend an evening on a Jameson-themed pre-St. Pat’s Day Pub Crawl. But other than any old shot & a beer pub crawl, we crawled our way through a selection of delicious Jameson cocktails, many of them perfect for the balmy evening.

Jameson, while often the backbone of a proper St. Patrick’s Day celebration, too often stars only in a shot glass alongside a beer, or splashed into a disappointing whisker ginger. For this column, we wanted to keep the main act, but spruce up the costume a bit, from well drink to elegant cocktail. And our pub crawl gave up the perfect opportunity.

One in particular, at Grey Lady on Delancey, was the perfect warm-weather whiskey cocktail, looking forward to summer but anchoring us in the St. Patty’s Day festivities that we usually expect in March.

A piña colada-inspired whisky sour, the Shady Lady uses traditional sour elements, like lemon juice, whiskey, and egg whites, but adds a tropical twist, with the addition of pineapple gum syrup and a spritz of piña colada essence.

We’ve adapted the recipe slightly for home creation, making a pineapple simple syrup, and topping it with coconut flakes, and renamed it the St. Patrick’s Piñavera, a hat tip to this year’s early spring.

St. Patrick's Piñavera

Adapted from Grey Lady’s The Shady Lady

• 1 1/2 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey
• 3/4 oz pineapple simple syrup
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 oz egg whites (the white of one egg)
• Angostura bitters
• Coconut flakes (can substitute shredded coconut)

Dry shake all ingredients. Add ice to shaker and shake again vigorously for 10-15 seconds, depending on weight of ice. Fine strain into a coup, or over a large ice cube in a tumbler. Garnish with dashes of Angostura bitters and a sprinkling of coconut flakes

Pineapple Simple Syrup

• 2 cups of chopped fresh pineapple
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Strain into saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until quantity reduced by half (approximately 30 minutes), stirring occasionally. Hot it should be the consistency of maple syrup; cool it’ll be a bit thicker.

---

Adorable pineapple tumblers available here from The Pineapple Co.

Woodford Reserve Series No. 1: Bourbon Al Pastor Tacos

wWw & Woodford Reserve

Women Who Whiskey has introduced it's members to a variety of Woodford Reserve's whiskey expressions. Woodford's collection includes Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Double Oaked Bourbon, Rye, & a yearly Master's Collection. Today I will be showcasing recipes featuring their Bourbon & Rye.

Bourbon Al Pastor Tacos

Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Bourbon is crafted in small batches, which allows them to develop distinct rich flavors of toffee, tobacco, & citrus as well as a silky, smooth, & creamy finish. I am featuring it today in a revamped version of a classic Al Pastor recipe. I recommend serving this dish with homemade tortillas, Spanish rice,  & Frijoles Borrachos.

Ingredients:

• Two 3 lb. Pork Loins, cubed
• Two 20 oz. cans of Pineapple Chunks
• 16 oz. Pineapple Juice
•  ½ c. Orange Juice
•  ½ c. White Vinegar
•  ¼ c. Chili Powder
• 6 Garlic Cloves, crushed
• 4 tsp. Kosher Salt
• 2 tsp. dried Oregano Leaves
• 2 tsp. ground Cumin
• 2 Chipotle Peppers (canned in Adobo sauce), minced
• 2 Sazon con Achiote seasoning packets
• ½ c. Woodford Reserve Bourbon
• 1 bunch of Cilantro
• 1 tbsp. Brown Sugar
• Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Combine all the above ingredients except the cilantro, brown sugar, & olive oil. Marinate overnight in a large Ziplock bag or storage container.

2. About an hour before you are ready to serve the pork, pull the cubed pork loin from the marinade and set aside in refrigerator. Pour the marinade in a food processor or blender.

3. Add 1 cup of Cilantro to the marinade, blend until smooth.

4. Pour the marinade in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the Brown Sugar, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, simmering ~40 minutes. The sauce should be the consistency of ketchup. Remember as the sauce cools, it will become a little thicker, so do not overcook. Cover and remove from heat. Serve as a sauce with the cooked pork.

5. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add ~1 tsp. of Olive Oil to the skillet & sauté the cubed pork in small batches. Add ~1 tsp. of Olive Oil per batch of pork.

Great accompaniments for the Al Pastor Tacos are pickled red onion, pickled or fresh jalapeños, Cotija cheese, cilantro, sour cream, lime wedges.

Woodford Reserve Series No. 2: Bourbon Beans (Frijoles Borrachos)

Bourbon Beans

A tasty new take on the traditional Frijoles Borrachos, this recipe features Woodford Reserve Bourbon, spicy chorizo, & smoked ham hocks. Serve alongside Arroz Rojo & Al Pastor Tacos.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. Dry Pinto Beans, soak overnight
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Onion, quartered
• 2 Carrots, coarse chop
• 2 Celery Ribs, coarse chop
• 1 Jalapeño, remove stem
• 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 lb. uncooked Chorizo, remove from casing
• 4 oz. can Mild Green Chilies, chopped
• 14 oz. can Diced Tomatoes
• 1/4 c. Sofrito
• 1/4 c. Recaito
• 1 packet Sazón con Achiote (optional)
• 3 c. Pork Stock
• 3 c. Water
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 Smoked Ham Hocks
• ½ c. Woodford Reserve Bourbon

Directions:

1. Soak the beans overnight in water; sort the beans, discarding any that did not plump up.

2. In a food processor or blender, pulse the Onion, Carrot, Celery, & Jalapeño until minced.

3. Heat Olive Oil in a 6-8 quart stockpot over medium heat. Add the uncased Chorizo, sauté for ~3 minutes, then add the pulsed vegetable mix. Continue to sauté until the onions become translucent and vegetables are fragrant, ~5 minutes.

4. Add the chopped Green Chilies & Diced Tomatoes, continue to sauté ~2 minutes.

5. Add the Sofrito, Recaito, & packet of Sazón, stir until the ingredients are well mixed, and continue to sauté for ~2 minutes.

6. Add the soaked Beans, Pork Stock, Water, Bay Leaves, & Ham Hocks.

7. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, cook for 1-½ hours.

8. Take out 1 cup of the cooked beans, mash them then add them back to the stockpot along with Woodford Reserve Bourbon. Mix well and continue to cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

9. Taste for final seasoning, adjust for taste, and serve!

Woodford Reserve Series No. 3: Rye Manhattan Cake

 Woodford Rye Manhattan Cake

Woodford Reserve’s Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey is crafted from a mash bill that is 53% rye, lending to spice notes of rye, black pepper, & clove. There is a subtle lingering sweetness of molasses and honey at the finish.

I have created a Rye Manhattan Cake using this delicious spirit based on a Rum cake recipe that my grandmother used to make!

Note, the whiskey is not cooked out of this cake, so enjoy responsibly!

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 c. dried Tart Cherries + ½ c. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur ***
• 1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. Golden Butter Yellow Cake Mix
• 1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. Instant French Vanilla Pudding Mix (you can also use Butterscotch)
• 4 Eggs
• ½ c. Milk
• 1 stick Butter, melted
• ½ c. Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

            Glaze:

• 1 stick Butter
• 1 c. White Sugar
• 1 tbsp. Water
• 2 tbsp. Sweet Vermouth
• 2 tbsp. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
• 1 tsp. Angostura Bitters
• ½ c. Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

Directions:

Cake:

*** 1. Add ½ c. of Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur to the 1 c. of Tart Cherries. If you have the time, let the cherries sit in the liqueur overnight to soak up the liqueur, if not, throw the cherries & liqueur in the microwave for ~1 minute.

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

3. Grease and flour the Bundt pan.

4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk Yellow Cake Mix, French Vanilla Pudding Mix, Eggs, Milk, melted Butter, & ½ c. Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. Combine until batter is well blended, either by hand, or with electric mixer.

5. Pour the Luxardo Cherries evenly into the bottom of the floured Bundt pan.

6. Pour the batter on top of the cherries; tap the Bundt pan on the counter to get rid of air bubbles and even out the batter in the pan.

7. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for ~55-60 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the cake, if the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done.

8. Once cake is ready, remove from the oven and let cool for ~10 min (prepare the glaze while the cake is cooling). After cooling, place a cake plate over the top of the Bundt pan and turn the pan upside down on to the cake plate. Let the Bundt pan sit for a couple minutes on the cake plate to loosen the cake and allow it to release from Bundt pan. Remove Bundt pan in order to glaze the cake.

            Glaze:

1. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine butter and sugar. Stir continuously until butter is melted and sugar has begun to melt. Add 1 tbsp. of water and continue stirring and cooking for ~4 minutes. Add the Luxardo Liqueur and Angostura Bitters, continue to mix and cook for ~2 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the ½ cup of Woodford Rye. Stir until blended. The glaze should be the consistency of real maple syrup.

2. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze over the top, sides, & center of cake. I recommend brushing on a couple layers of the glaze, and then let the cake sit for a few minutes, then brush on a few more layers of glaze. Any left over glaze can be used to pour atop individual slices of the cake.

Virgil Kaine Series No. 4: Ginger Bourbon Biscuit Cobbler

Virgil Kaine Ginger Bourbon Biscuit Cobbler

This easy to assemble cobbler features bourbon soaked tart cherries, pears, & apples. Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream or homemade bourbon vanilla whipped cream.

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 1 c. dried Tart Cherries
• 1/2 c. Virgil Kaine Ginger Infused Bourbon
• 3 Bosc Pears, peeled, cored, and cubed
• 3 Fuji or Pink Lady Apples, peeled, cored, and cubed
• Juice (and Zest) from 1 Lemon (reserve the zest for the topping)
• 2/3 c. Light Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp. + 1 tsp. All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 tsp. ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground Nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground Cloves
• 1/8 tsp. Kosher Salt

Topping:

• 2 c. All-Purpose Flour
• ¾ c. White Sugar
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
• Zest from 1 Lemon 
• 1 ½ sticks Unsalted Butter, diced into cubes
• 1/3. Hot Water
• 2 tbsp. White Sugar

Whipped Cream:

• 1 c. Heavy Whipping Cream
• 3 tbsp. Confectioners’ Sugar
• 2 tbsp. Virgil Kaine Ginger Infused Bourbon
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• Zest from ½ an Orange

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prep the pears, apples, & lemon.

In a microwave safe bowl, add the bourbon to the tart cherries, microwave for ~40 seconds to allow the cherries to soak up the whiskey. (You can also soak the cherries in bourbon overnight and forgo microwaving.)

In a large bowl, toss the cherries, pears, & apples with the lemon juice, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, & kosher salt. Pour the mixture into a 13 x 9” cake pan. Top fruit with biscuit dough; see instructions below.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ¾ c. sugar, baking powder, salt, & lemon zest.

Cut the cubes of butter into the flour mixture using your hands, two forks, or a pastry blender. Cut in the butter until a coarse meal forms.

Slowly mix in the hot water to form a wet dough. Drop small clumps of the dough over the fruit filling, and then sprinkle with 2 tbsp. of sugar.

3. Pour heavy whipping cream into a medium bowl with confectioners’ sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in the bourbon, vanilla extract, & orange zest, continue beating until stiff peaks form. Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator.