It’s one of our favorite times of the year, and we’re counting down with some Irish inspired cocktails. Enjoy!
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Baileys Minty Shamrock
2oz Baileys Mint Chocolate Irish Cream Liqueur
Shake with ice, strain into martini glass, garnish with mint and chocolate swizzle stick.
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I bet you’re getting a little tired of all these holidays… but we’re just getting started!
Today is National Kahlua Day.
Here’s the story of Kahlua (according to Kahlua) in a few sentences.
-Kahlua was created in 1936 by chemist Montalvo Lara. It means “House of the Acolhua people.” Lara used coffee beans from the fields of Veracruz, which were grown by a pair of brothers, the Alvarez.
-In the 1950′s,Kahlua became popular and began global distribution. It wasn’t until the 1960′s though, that it hit North America and of course, the U.S. fell in love with its creamy and distinctive Mexican flavored goodness. From there, it grew and grew!
-In 2007, Kahlua joined the flavor craze and added flavors like French Vanilla, Hazelnut and Mocha.
Kahlua has been a huge staple in weddings contributing to the white russian phenomenon and has been sweetening peoples coffee since.. well.. seems like forever. Be sure to stop by your local Binny’s after work and grab that big bottle of Kahlua… you know you want to!
The Whiskey Hotline’s next stop on the road through Kentucky and Tennessee? Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. You might remember our visit last summer. What has changed since? When we were there last July, the first floor of their newly renovated Warehouse A was half full of barrels. Now, the entire warehouse is nearly full. The place is buzzing. On our last visit, they were gearing up to build a grain mill and two bed & breakfasts. The mill is finished – a shipment of corn arrived and we got to watch it go up an auger and into a hopper. That was cool. And at least one of the B&B’s is done. It seems like they start a project every week, and finish one every four.
What did we taste? KBD resumed distilling in January of 2012, and we got our first taste of their young rye and bourbon after just 13 months in wood. Excited to taste them over hte next few decades. Also, they’re distilling using seven different mash bills – we were able to sneak back a bottle of their wheated bourbon recipe white dog. And it’s fantastic. After our delicious (and popular) last batch of Willetts, you know we want another round. So keep an eye out for more Binny’s Handpicked Willetts in these ages: 4 year, 6 year, 7 year, 8 year, 9 year, 10 year, and 22 year (!!!).
You might think that the month of February already has too many holidays. Well, here’s a holiday we can all get behind. Join us this Friday as we celebrate National Margarita Day.
Yep. It’s a thing.
To prepare, we headed to our South Loop Tasting Room and asked our crack team of cocktail specialists for their best custom margarita recipe. Check it out:
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2oz Don Julio Blanco
Give it a quick shake, strain over ice and garnish with a slated rim and lime wheel. |
That agave nectar is the secret to a great margarita. It’s cleaner in taste and naturally lower in calories than sugar or high fructose corn syrup based mixers. Special thanks to Josh, our bartender, for sharing his awesome Margarita recipe!
Day two on the Whiskey Hotline’s road trip? Corsair Artisan Spirits’s Nashville, Tennessee distillery. These guys are doing exciting things.
Listen, we’re always the first to knock the use of smaller barrels. You just can’t make a traditional bourbon, put it in small barrels, and expect it to taste good. That’s what makes Corsair different. While they do age in 15 gallon barrels, they play with the rest of the formula too: using experimental grains (quinoa?!), flavoring with hops, trying new mashes. At the same time, Corsair mostly produces mostly whiskies from malted barley, and have experimented with fifty different smoked barleys and seventy different hops.
By the way, Corsair just filled their first 30 gallon barrel last year. We tasted it; it isn’t ready, but when it is, there’s a good chance it winds up being a Binny’s Handpicked cask. We’ll revisit it soon. Did we bring back anything else? Watch for more of their delicious Triple Smoked.
Also, somebody at Corsair hearts monkeys.
As promised, The Whiskey Hotline spent the weekend scouring Kentucky for only the finest handpicked barrels of whiskey.
First stop? Pogue in Maysville. We’re getting an incredibly small amount of their white dog rye. Binny’s is the only place to get it outside of KY and NY. Very good stuff too… lots of farm/hay/grass with a little fruit.
It is with great sadness I read the news of the passing of Truman Cox. He was a good friend, great father and husband and a passionate member of our whiskey fraternity. Loved ones can never leave too late, but Truman truly left too early. He will be missed.
Brett Pontoni
Specialty Spirits Buyer
Binny’s Beverage Depot
Truman Cox
From A. Smith Bowman Distillery / Buffalo Trace Distillery, Feb 10th
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Truman Cox, Master Distiller of our A. Smith Bowman Distillery. Truman passed away on Saturday, February 9 after a short illness. Truman joined the company in 2004 as Lead Chemist at Buffalo Trace Distillery and in 2011 realized his dream to become the Master Distiller at A. Smith Bowman Distillery in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Truman’s passion for our industry was evident to everyone who knew him and he left a notable and positive mark on our company in the time he was with us.
Truman will be sadly missed by his many friends at Sazerac and in the industry. Please keep Truman, his wife Susan and daughter Emmy in your thoughts and prayers.
Oh, Valentine’s Day. A time of celebration, love and of course- indulging! Try one of these recommended holiday treats with your loved one or single bff’s!
Popping bottles: The 2011 Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto d’Acqui is a sparkling red with festive cranberry color and has a fresh raspberry taste, with crisp acidity, enticing the palate with an initial softness, graduating to a round luscious finish with just a touch of sweetness to hit the spot.
For all of you adventurous beer lovers: Try Lindemans Framboise or Liefman’s Cuvee Brut. They both offer a lot of sweet and tart fruit. Both are a pinkish red, succulently fruity, and almost dangerously sippable.
Now if you’re trying to get really fancy, we have some great cocktail choices fit to please everyone.
For the ladies…
Be sure to try X-Rated Fusion Liqueur. At $22.99 a bottle, you have many ways to enjoy this sensuous fusion of ultra premium French vodka & Sicilian blood orange mingling with mango and passion fruits. Enjoy over ice or mix with Champagne for a fruity and bubbly Valentine’s Day treat.
For the men…
Bring on the whiskey! This Cupid’s Manhattan is guaranteed to not disappoint. Pour him this spicy twist on a classic cocktail to make his head spin… in a good way. Include 2 parts Redemption Rye, 1 part M&R Sweet Vermouth, a dash of Fee Brothers Cherry Bitters for fruity sweetness and a dash of Bittermens Hellfire Habanero Shrub Bitters to spice things up.
So whether you’ve got a hot date or are celebrating with your closest friends, be sure to try one of these festive liquid treats! Show us your version on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!
Happy Fat Tuesday to you all! One of the best days to indulge and not feel any sort of guilt… until tomorrow maybe…
Whether you’re celebrating from home or the bar tonight, do it right with one of these traditional Mardi Gras beverages.
Brewed in NOLA, Abita Beer is sure to please. After Hurricane Katrina, you couldn’t get this stuff for months!
Or try sipping on the traditional New Orleans Hurricane. You can never go wrong with rum. We found a great recipe for you to try here.
Straight from the French Quarter, try the Red Snapper. Heavy with whiskey and cranberry juice, it’s guaranteed to hit your sweet spot.
Cheers!
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