RD1's Spirits has a legacy as deep in Mixology as it does in its whiskey!
Versailles Julep
When the julep cups come out, spring has arrived, and the Derby is right around the corner!
A Southern tradition since at least the early 19th century, the mint julep became the Derby’s official drink in 1939.
Ingredients
- 5 oz Manchester Reserve
- ½ oz Peach Syrup
- Mint Leaves
- Champagne/Sparkling Wine
- Fresh Mint Leaves
Method:
Muddle mint leaves and peach syrup into a julep cup. Add Manchester Reserve and fill the glass with crushed ice and stir well. Top with your favorite sparkling wine. Garnish with a healthy sprig of fresh, spanked mint.
Manchester Reserve Blooming Dogwood
Spring is here! What better way to celebrate than with a cocktail of fresh raspberries, citrus, ginger and the warm perfectly balanced whiskey from WM. Tarr?
Ingredients
- 2 oz. WM. Tarr Manchester Reserve
- 8 oz. Ginger Ale
- .5 oz. Simple Syrup
- Juice from 1 Lemon Wedge
- 5 Raspberries
- 4 Mint Leaves
Method:
Muddle raspberries with lemon juice, simple syrup, and mint. Fill a highball glass with ice, pour mixture. Add WM Tarr Manchester Reserve. Top with Ginger Ale. Garnish with fresh raspberries and mint sprig.
Manchester Reserve Big Blue Smash
The sweet flavors of berries, mint, and lemon complement the notes of toasted brown sugars and caramel layered in the perfectly balanced blend of whiskies, the Award-Winning William Tarr Manchester Reserve.
Ingredients
- 2 oz William Tarr Manchester Reserve™
- ¾ oz Simple or Blueberry Syrup*
- ¾ oz Lemon Juice
- 6 Mint Leaves
- 8 Ripe Blueberries
- Garnish: mint, blueberries, and lemon wheel
Method:
Method: Muddle mint and berries in a shaker. Add remaining ingredients. Fill with ice and shake until cold. Strain into a rocks glass with ice and garnish.
*Real Ingredients brand, Monin’s, Amoretti, or housemade
Kentucky Hot Tea
A warm sweet sip of Lexington’s finest Whiskey, steeped with spicy ginger honey.
Ingredients:
1.5 oz William Tarr Manchester Reserve™
1 oz Ginger-Infused Honey Syrup*
½ oz Lemon Juice
6 oz English Breakfast Tea
Method:
Warm heat-proof glass. Add ingredients to glass, stir. Garnish with candied ginger.
Ginger-infused honey-syrup
Heat ⅓ cup water. Add ⅔ cup honey and 1 thumb of peeled ginger, chopped. Heat briefly, then let steep for 15 minutes. Strain. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Manchester Sherry Manhattan
Cream Sherry and Chocolate Bitters mix perfectly with Manchester Reserve’s sweet notes of sugar and vanilla for a delicious spin on the traditional Manhattan.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Manchester Reserve
- ½ oz sweet vermouth
- ½ oz cream sherry
- 1 dash of chocolate bitters
- 1 dash aromatic bitters
- 2 drops saline solution or a pinch of salt
Method:
Combine all in a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with an orange twist and cherry.
The Classic Old Fashioned
Initially concocted in 1880 in a private social club in Kentucky called the Pendennis, young James E. Pepper – later a famed distiller and neighbor to our own vintage distillery – took the drink with him to the Waldorf-Astoria hotel bar in New York. Here, its popularity began to grow and was soon a big city staple.
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Old Wm. Tarr Manchester Reserve
- 1 sugar cube (or .5 tsp. sugar)
- 2-3 dashes bitters
Method:
Stir in a mixing glass with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a citrus peel or cherry.
The Manhattan
Doctor Iain Marshall allegedly invented the drink at the Manhattan Club in NYC somewhere around 1870, which – coincidentally – was around the same time William Tarr bought the Ashland Distillery.
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Old Wm. Tarr Manchester Reserve
- .5 oz. dry vermouth
- .5 oz. sweet red vermouth
- 2-3 dashes bitters
Method:
Stir in a mixing glass with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a citrus peel or cherry.
Mint Julep
When the silver cups come out, spring has arrived and the Kentucky Derby is right around the corner!
Fun Fact: The mint julep has been a Southern tradition since at least the early 19th century. The first mention of the drink in the U.S. comes from Englishman John Davis’ book “Travels of Four Years and a Half in the United States: 1798-1802.” In it Davis describes the julep as “a dram of spirituous liquor that has mint steeped in it” consumed by Virginians as a morning eye-opener.
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 mint sprigs, leaves only
- 2 sugar cubes (or 1/2-ounce simple syrup)
- 2 1/2 ounces bourbon whiskey
- Mint sprig, garnish
Method:
Muddle mint leaves and sugar into a julep cup. Add Manchester Reserve and fill the glass with crushed ice and stir well. Garnish with a mint sprig.
Hot Toddy
This Classic Cocktail is Coziness in a Cup. It is believed that the hot toddy was invented to disguise raw Scotch, which in the 18th century was unpalatable.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Old Wm. Tarr Manchester Reserve
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2–3 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup hot water
- Lemon slice, for garnish, optional
- Cinnamon stick, for garnish, optional
Method:
Combine the first four ingredients and stir to combine until the honey is dissolved.
Garnish with a lemon slice and/or cinnamon stick.
S'Mores Old Fashioned
Warm Up with a Cool Fireside Cocktail
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Old Wm. Tarr Manchester Reserve
- .5 oz. Demerara Syrup
- 8 drops vanilla extract
- 4 drops Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters
Method:
Mix ingredients in shaker (don’t shake). Stir with ice for 15 seconds. Strain and pour over ice. Skewer marshmallow and toast to desired finish. Garnish with toasted marshmallow and serve.
Glass Rim:
Crush 1 pack of graham crackers (or use food processor). Mix crumbs with 1/4 cup sugar. Mix 2 oz. marshmallow fluff with 1 tsp. water until slightly runny. Roll rim of glass in marshmallow fluff mixture, then roll through graham cracker mixture.
