Woodford Reserve
It’s been unseasonably hot this summer. You know what I’ve been doing to stay cool? Trying new whiskey recipes!
Dive Bar has nearly 150 bottles of whiskey on their wall, and while I still have many to try, Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey is probably my all-time favorite. It’s been my go-to bourbon since a friend introduced me to it years ago. Neat, on the rocks or in an Old Fashioned, you can’t beat the amazing flavor. Like Mary Poppins says, it’s “practically perfect in every way.”
Woodford has been around since the early 1800s. In fact, the Woodford distillery in Kentucky is listed as a National Historic Landmark. Pretty cool!
One of the things I like about Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey is how smooth it tastes. Coming in at 90-proof, it doesn’t burn the way some bourbons do. Depending on your taste buds, you could get anything from toffee and chocolate to citrus and cinnamon. Me personally? I get hints of cinnamon, just enough to make me add a splash of water to cool the bite just a bit.
Woodford Distillery. Photo by Woodford
If you’ve been following our blog for a while, or keeping tabs on Dive Bar on Facebook and Instagram, you may have seen some of the hand-crafted cocktails we serve. Our bartenders make great drinks! If you’re not able to come in and want to be your own bartender to beat the heat at home this summer, here are two recipes straight from the Woodford website that looked too good to pass up. One includes their Malt Whiskey which can be hard to come by in stores, but always on the shelf at Dive Bar.
BANANAS FOSTER COCKTAIL
Ingredients
- 1 oz. Malt Whiskey
- ½ oz. Banana Liqueur
- ¾ oz. Madeira
- 2 Dashes Black Walnut Bitters
- 4 oz. Soda Water
Add all ingredients to a highball or Collins glass. (These are the glasses we put our Bloody Mary’s and Whiskey Sours in at Dive Bar.) Top with ice and soda water. Voila! It’s that simple. If you want to get fancy, you can garnish with a dehydrated banana chip or caramelized banana slice.
The next recipe is for the PORCH ROCKER COCKTAIL.
This goes great with my second favorite Woodford label — the Double Oaked whiskey. It offers a nice smoky flavor at the end.
Ingredients
- 1-½ oz. Double Oaked Bourbon
- ½ oz. Amaretto
- 1 oz. Strong Black Tea
- 6 oz. Soda Water
Instructions are the same as above, except this time, garnish with a peach slice. Peaches are in season right now and the added juiciness will make you wish you were on your front porch at sunset in your favorite rocking chair.
If you don’t have a favorite whiskey yet, come into Dive Bar for the next Whiskey Club, Monday, August 21 at 6pm. Get your tickets before they sell out. Who knows…you might find five favorites that night!
Until next time, cheers!
