HomeProducts The Word of the Day is Whiskey
The word whiskey is derived from the Gaelic word “Uisge Beatha” which means “water of life”. More and more Whiskey (or also spelled Whisky) is becoming the popular choice. Small batches are popping up everywhere and with the ease of the internet, dependent upon the state that you live in, you can even have some fine small batch whiskey sent right to your door. Although I do champion the DIY initiative, I hesitate to recommend distilling your own. In our family there exists a recipe for pure grain alcohol moonshine (“Johnson Family Whiskey”) that threatens to fix all your illnesses, or might quite possibly kill you, as it burns like hell. Plus, the fruit they add into the Mason jar that they call a bottle, is so “infused” with alcohol you potentially could go blind. But I digress. I have dropped off wine all together and find my new passion for either Whiskey on the rocks or mixed into a delicious cocktail, like a Manhattan, Tom Colons, or an Old Fashioned. I have found that many things are better with age, and whiskey is no exception. Enjoy this delicious recipe for a Manhattan from Bon Appetit. (http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/manhattan)
Ingredients:
- 2 dashes angostura bitters
- 1 ounce sweet vermouth
- 2 1/2 ounces bourbon, such as Buffalo Trace
- 1 maraschino cherry
- Fill a short glass 2/3 full with ice.
- Add bitters, vermouth, and bourbon.
- Add cherry (and crush it against the side of the glass with a spoon).
- Stir.
- Try chopping crabapples into quarters, then tossing them into a large mason jar. Fill the jar with your favorite Rye whiskey (like Bullet or Knob Creek.) Leave it unattended for about five days, then strain the rye through a cheesecloth and serve.
- Or try Granny Smith apples. Chop the apples up into small cubes, then toss them into a large glass jar. A two quart jar should do nicely if you’re just doing one bottle’s worth at a time. Pour in the whiskey, seal the lid, and let it rest for a minimum of 5 days.
- Tim Laird over at Bourbon Buzz suggests using dried apple slices. Pour out a few ounces of the whiskey, stuff the dried apple slices in, pour a little whiskey back in to cover, and let it sit. This method is faster, taking only 3 days to mature.