Green Brier Grin

Green Brier GrinI met the Nelson brothers, of Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery, at this year’s San Antonio Cocktail Conference and visited with them again at TOTC.  Their Belle Meade Bourbon is one of my favorites and with it I have created a number of cocktails.  I first tasted their Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee White Whiskey* at the San Antonio Cocktail Conference.  It is single distilled from a mash of corn, barley and wheat which gives it some subtle, but distinct differences from other premium white whiskeys.  First, I think Nelson’s Green Brier is slightly sweeter and has a malty/chocolate note.  Still present is the ‘bite’ you would expect from white whiskey.  Previously, I was not a fan of white whiskey, but liking theirs, I have set out to design some cocktails using Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee White Whiskey.

I may have just had chocolate on the brain, or maybe it was molé, but the chocolate note I mentioned made me think of chilies and thus Ancho Reyes liqueur.  Add in Carpano Antica Vermouth and now it becomes something rich and complex.  Being determined to gild the lily, I wanted to push the herbal flavors of the vermouth.  So, I got esoteric and added Bigallet’s China-China Amer.  The Carpano has wonderful essences of dried fruits and bitter marmalade along with a little cocoa and red wine.  All of which are enhanced by the China-China’s orange peels and bittering herbs bringing a little truffle like earthiness to the party.  This combination complements rather than overwhelms or conceals the unique flavors of this white whiskey.  Here’s the recipe that makes me smile!

Green Brier GrinGreen Brier Bottles

  • 1 1/2 oz. Nelson’s Green Brier Tennessee White Whiskey
  • 3/4 oz. Carpano Antica
  • 1/2 oz. Ancho Reyes
  • 1/2 oz. Bigallet’s China-China Amer
  1. Chill a cocktail glass with ice and water
  2. Add all ingredients, except the garnish, to a mixing glass with ice.  Stir to chill.
  3. Strain into chilled cocktail glass

Cheers!

* Doc Elliott’s Mixology receives no compensation for brands mentioned.




MxMo C

mxmo_c_logoI’m a relative new comer to Mixology Monday, having contributed for only about a year.  So my twelve entries are a modest offering when one considers that this monthly online cocktail party is now 100 months old!  This month’s theme comes from MxMo’s dedicated leader Frederic Yarm at the cocktail virgin slut.  It is “Cocktail Chronicles” and is a tribute to Mixology Monday’s founder Paul Clarke.  Paul has written at the Cocktail Chronicles blog since 2005, and has now authored a book The Cocktail Chronicles: Navigating the Cocktail Renaissance with Jigger, Shaker & GlassThe book is an insider’s look at the cocktail “revolution” of the past decade.  While it is not really a history, it does give insight into where we were and where we are today.  He also highlights the classic yet simple cocktails that form the backbone of what we call “mixology.”

Cocktail ChroniclesThe theme, “Cocktail Chronicles” for this month’s Mixology Monday is, as described in the  announcement post, “what is timeless (or potentially timeless) and elegant in its simplicity.”  Wonderful yet uncomplicated.  I have interpreted this to mean, “highlight a cocktail that is an essential part of the current cocktail renaissance.”

In selecting our contribution for this month, I have focused on “timeless,” “simple” and “malleability,”  (a cocktail that can easily be made into something else).  In our focus on home entertainment, these three criteria: elegant, simple and easily modified are huge.  Cocktails that have these qualities enable the host to entertain with ease.

I think that a cocktail that has been around for 200 years meets the “timeless” threshold, and if it has three ingredients, it qualifies as “simple.”  Now if that cocktail can be, and has been,  easily turned into a myriad of famous drinks, it’s a winner.  So I have selected the Sour: spirit, juice and sweetener.  The Sour has been around since at least the early 1800’s, (check the sidebar for a brief history of the Sour), and it is the forbear of numerous cocktails.  From the humble Whiskey Sour has come Daiquiris, Margaritas, the Sidecar, The Aviation, the Pisco Sour, Ward Eight, the Cosmopolitan and many more.

One of my favorite Whiskey Sours is our Belle Meade Sour.  It does not follow the usual Sour Ratio of 2:1:1, (Spirit:Sour:Sweet), but I like my whiskey sours 1:1 bourbon and lemon sour.  For the lemon sour, I prefer 2:1 lemon to simple syrup.  This makes the ratio more like 2:1:2/3 or so.  I also like the mouth feel of egg white.  So here is our recipe:Belle Meade Sour

  • 1 1/2 oz. Belle Meade Bourbon
  • 1 oz. Fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz. Simple syrup
  • 1 large egg white (can use 3 Tbl. pasteurized egg whites but it will not be the same)
  1. Add all ingredients, in order to a shaker and shake for 30 sec without ice to emulsify the egg white.
  2. Add 3 regular sized ice cubes plus one large cube (1 1/2 – 2 inches)* to the shaker and shake to chill 10 – 15 sec.
  3. Double strain into a chilled coup and serve

* using a large ice cube creates a silky finish that complements the egg white.  The effect lasts for only a minute or two, so serve it quickly.  You can omit this and use regular ice but you should get a large ice cube tray!

Cheers!