Recipe: Smash in Hand

Sweet whiskey in the wintertime.

When the snow is falling and the temps are frigid, nothing is better than nestling up to a warm fire and sipping a cocktail. To match the mood of the season, many classic winter cocktails feature the deep, robust warmth and richness that can only be provided by bourbon.

Bourbon whiskey claims the distinction of the spirit most deeply rooted in American ingenuity. Bourbon originated from the use of corn (a grain native to North America) instead of the traditional European barley. For this reason, the spirit’s type and class is defined as: whiskey made in the United States from 51 or more percent corn and aged in new charred American oak barrels.

Wildrye’s Five Drops Bourbon Whiskey was born of the Montana harvest. Five Drops is unique amongst American (and Montana) bourbons because of the special process used to create it. Whole-ear, non-GMO sweet corn, grown in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley, is picked fresh and mashed with Montana-grown malted barley at a low temperature. The resulting wash is then distilled using Wildrye’s custom stills and aged in charred American oak barrels in their local rickhouse. The finished product is a smooth, aroma-rich Montana bourbon. Five Drops Bourbon Whiskey embodies Wildrye’s ideals: quality, authentic, and different.

Blackberry Bourbon Smash Ingredients
1 1/2 oz. Five Drops Bourbon Whiskey
1 oz. blackberry jam
1/2 orange
2 dashes aromatic bitters
Cock ‘n’ Bull ginger beer

Directions
Cut the 1/2 orange into two pieces. In a shaker (or pint glass) add a few small chunks of ice, orange pieces, the blackberry jam, bitters, and bourbon. Muddle. Strain into a lowball glass filled with fresh ice. Top with ginger beer and garnish with an orange slice. Enjoy.

Dr. Philip A. Sullivan holds a dual doctorate in organic chemistry and nanotechnology. His professional experience includes over 10 years of chemical research and over 15 years of experience in the chemical industry. He is the founder and CEO of Wildrye Distilling.