Is it contrarian to drink something born of British Royalty on Thanksgiving, the most American of holidays? Maybe, but really not. You see, The King’s Ginger—a zesty, ginger infused whiskey liqueur that just launched on American shores—may be popular in Europe, but in keeping with the, er, spirits of the holiday, we’re quite happy to entertain out of town guests. Especially foreigners. Kinda like the Native Americans who welcomed the Pilgrims. Besides, it’s spicy kick is just the way to fight the sleepy effects of turkey’s tryptophan and comes with a story worthy of post dinner conversating. The King’s Ginger was formulated by Royal spirit suppliers Berry Bros. in 1903 for King Edward VII as a way to revive and restore health to the the king had just taken to traveling mornings for some good ol’ fashioned bird hunting in what were roofless, horseless carriage. Aka—the first ever cars. Drink it on it’s own, but after the jump, check out a delish, American, pumpkin-y recipe for a cocktail to impress…
Pumpkin Patch
Created by Jackson Cannon, Eastern Standard / The Hawthorne
1 oz. Pumpkin infused The Glenrothes Select Reserve
1 oz. The King’s Ginger Liqueur
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 grade A maple syrup (prefer McClure’s)
1 egg white
Shake over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Garnish with angostura bitters.
To infuse the scotch, peel, clean and cut small 2 by 2 inch pieces of sugar pumpkin, very lightly salt and roast for about 20 minutes on 250.Put into a seal container with scotch and let rest for two days. strain off and re-bottle. keep refrigerated.
Most companies look at things in terms of brands, which typically means putting out a number of related products under a single brand name. Maker’s Mark has always seen things in terms of products, and they’re one of the few major companies that for years was a single product company. When you referred to Maker’s, you meant one and only thing: Maker’s Mark Bourbon.
Maker’s Mark established itself as a kinder, gentler bourbon – one with a lot of flavor but no kick, no harshness. Critics have often noted that the easier nature of Maker’s comes at the expense of a nice long finish. After running Maker’s Mark as a single product company for over 33 years, Bill Samuels, Jr. decided he wanted to leave behind something new as his legacy. To do this, he set out three criteria that would guide any new product: one, it needs to be yummy; two, it needs to be Maker’s Mark “on steroids”; and, three, it needs to have a long finish. Maker’s Mark was built on the ideal that whiskey could taste better, but a sweet, affable bourbon with a long finish was long considered impossible. Bill Samuels, Jr. really wanted to leave his mark on the bourbon space by figuring out how to accomplish this.
After a tremendous amount of experimentation, Bill Samuels, Jr. along with Master Distiller for Maker’s Mark, Kevin Smith (who is now the head of production for Jim Beam), came up with a way to take Maker’s Mark and build on it. To make Maker’s 46, they take bottle-ready Maker’s Mark and put it back in the barrel along with ten ‘roasted’ French oak staves. The whiskey is given an additional 90 days to age, during which time it takes on a lot of the wonderful qualities of the French oak. The result is a bourbon that is distinctly Maker’s Mark, on steroids.
Maker’s 46 takes all the wonderful front palate flavors of Maker’s Mark, including vanilla, caramel, and light oak, and adds a deeper vanilla note along with deep, sweet, cinnamon. Even though it’s higher proof than Maker’s (94 proof vs. 90 proof), it’s actually soft and easy, and you don’t taste the additional alcohol. With all that flavor, you get a nice long finish. Maker’s Mark has always shined when served neat, over ice, or with a simple mixer. Maker’s 46 expands Maker’s sweet spot, performing much better in cocktails like the Old Fashioned and Manhattan.
Before Patron, there really wasn’t an ultra premium market for tequila in the United States. Patron Silver changed all that and it made room for a number of other high end tequilas, like Tequila Avion, to come in above the $40 price point.
A similar situation exists in the American Whiskey space now. Yes, there are very high end special releases like Pappy Van Winkel and George T. Stagg, but those are often extremely hard to come by. Woodford Reserve has always had a very solid reputation in the bourbon space, and Master Distiller Chris Morris is considered to be one of the best. His experimental line, the Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection, has always been a favorite with whiskey enthusiasts and collectors.
Woodford has taken the bold step of launching a new product in the Woodford Reserve line called Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. This new bourbon is a solid new entry in a new ultra premium bourbon space. Priced at $49.99, the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked takes the traditional Woodford Reserve and then ages it longer in a special second barrel that has been custom crafted and toasted to bring out the deep honey, cream, and vanilla flavors in the whiskey. It’s a painstaking process but it results in one of the best bourbons on the market.
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is deep amber in color with clear toasted oak notes in the nose along with vanilla, caramel, honey, and marzipan. The taste is a beautiful union of lush vanilla, honey, and cream along with bold spiced oak and cinnamon. It is one of the best unions of sweet and spicy we’ve tasted in this space.
Unlike many of the other entries in this space, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is not a special release, but a regular addition to Woodford’s line, and a must-have for anyone who loves American Whiskey.
