Midnight Manhattan | Pendleton® Midnight

By Julia Ritz Toffoli

While Natalie was sipping on her Pendleton® Midnight across the country in Oregon, I was in New York, sipping on my own dram of Midnight, and thinking that I’d be remiss if I didn’t try it out in my all-time favorite cocktail to experiment with: a Manhattan.

After all, us east coast city girls need to have our own passions to keep us busy without any rodeos around!

In sipping the spirit, I got a lot of the same tasting notes as Natalie - vanilla, cake batter, a hint of baking spice - so I wanted to opt for a creative variation of a Manhattan that would highlight these tasty flavors. That said, a Manhattan isn’t the easiest drink to experiment with, since the three-ingredient list limits what you can do with it. With the whisky already decided (Pendleton® Midnight) and the vermouth determined by what I had on the bar (Dolin Rouge) the only variable I could play with was the choice of bitters.

My first personal foray into the transformative power of bitters (beyond the numerous concoctions served to me by talented bartenders) was actually with Natalie a few years ago. We were visiting the Museum of the American Cocktail (highly recommend!), inside the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans, where I discovered Love Potion No. 9 bitters, an herbal, floral blend that I carried around in my purse for the rest of the vacation to gussy up my $4 happy hour vodka sodas.

Since then, I’ve been on a bitters kick, collecting all kinds of interesting flavors beyond your standard Angostura and Peychaud’s (both preferred for a classic Manhattan). Enter Fee Brothers Cardamom Bitters, the perfect complement to the baking spice notes in the Pendleton® Midnight. Topped off with an authentic Amarena Toschi black cherry, it was the perfect cocktail for this Manhattan girl.

Midnight Manhattan

• 2 oz of Pendleton® Midnight
• ¾ oz Dolin Rouge Vermouth
• 5-7 dashes of Fee Brothers Cardamom Bitters

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass over ice, and stir gently for a minute or so. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a cherry or two.

Cocktail prep

Pendleton® Midnight | Review & Cocktails!

By Natalie Brant

As a fairly recent transplant to Oregon, I had previously only associated Pendleton with the much coveted blankets and jackets that I would always desperately look for in thrift stores. Imagine my delight when I found it is also a city, a rodeo and a portfolio of whiskies! A bit of background on the Pendleton® Whisky portfolio. It is the branded whisky named to honor the Pendleton Round-Up rodeo that takes place in Pendleton, Oregon the second week of September each year.

I recently sampled Pendleton® Midnight and shook up a couple of cocktails with it. Midnight is a 90 proof Canadian blend that includes a portion of whisky that is aged 6 years in American brandy barrels. This is a very accessible blend that is perfect for sippers who prefer their whisky on the sweeter side. The nose has strong hints of vanilla, and I caught a slight hint of cake batter before taking my first sip. The flavor is sweet and smooth on the front, no spiciness or heat to speak of. The brandy barrels definitely come through with slight fruitiness in the flavor. I was excited to try the Midnight in a couple of cocktails!

I decided to try a new-school and a classic cocktail to see how this whisky mixes.

The new-school cocktail I chose is the Pendleton® Tranquilizer, which was recommended by the brand and sounded delicious.

Pendleton® Tranquilizer

Pendleton® Tranquilizer

• 1 ½ oz. Pendleton® Midnight
• ¾ oz. ginger liqueur
• ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz. honey syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a highball. Garnish with a lemon slice

This cocktail was so refreshing! I want to sip this all summer long in the sunshine. It’s spicy and tart with a strong ginger bite on the front and a caramel sweetness on the back. I used local New Deal Ginger Liqueur for this cocktail as well, and it was perfection.

Next, I chose to make a classic Old Fashioned.

Midnight Old Fashioned

Midnight Old Fashioned

• 2 oz. Pendleton Midnight
• 2 to 3 dashes of Angostura Bitters
• 1 oz. Sweet Vermouth

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a cherry and lemon.

The Midnight was very well balanced in the Old Fashioned. The subtle vanilla pops out in the drink and the sweetness worked well. This drink felt like it would be perfect as a nightcap, or even dessert.

Pendleton® Midnight is a solid choice for lovers of blended whisky, and I’ll bet brandy lovers would really enjoy experimenting with Midnight. Probably due to the rodeo history, I kept thinking this whisky would be lovely to sip next to a cowboy campfire with the flavor blending into wood smoke and saddle leather.

Pendleton® Midnight is widely available in the U.S.

This post is published in paid partnership with Pendleton® Midnight. All opinions are our own.

Pairing | Kettle Bourbon BBQ Chips and Bull Run Straight Bourbon Whiskey

I recently tried out a really fun pairing that I had never considered before. Potato chips and bourbon!

Kettle Brand chips from here in Oregon (with a great sustainability focused business model) recently launched a Bourbon BBQ flavor, just in time for summer picnics and beach days. And of course I was like, hmmm, I wonder how they would pair with some actual bourbon? It felt right to match them with one of my favorite bourbons from Oregon, Bull Run’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

Perfect picnic

First, some tasting notes. Potato chip tasting notes!

The Bourbon BBQ Kettle chips have a tangy, bright flavor on top of the BBQ spices. There are hints of sweetness and smoke reminiscent of charred oak and a slight orangey citrus note that lingers. To be clear, these are VERY addictive chips.

Bull Run Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a 90 proof, Chinato barrel aged “merchant bottle” that is one of the foundation whiskeys created when Bull Run was starting out. This bourbon starts off with a slightly fruity note and mild banana scent that becomes a smooth spiciness on the back of the tongue. I find this bourbon to be an almost dangerously easy sipper that I like best with a few rocks.

Chips <3 Bourbon. Who knew?!

Guess what?! The chips and the bourbon taste great together! The spice in the chips compliments the spice at the back of each sip of bourbon. The orangey citrus notes I noticed from the chips also match well with the bourbon’s opening fruitiness. I wasn’t sure how these two were going to work together, but I have to say, I think I have a new favorite snack. This is not the most serious pairing review, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t delicious! If you show up to your next backyard party with a bag of Bourbon BBQ Kettle chips and a bottle of Bull Run Straight Bourbon Whiskey, don’t expect to be taking any back home.

Review | Tipperary Boutique Distillery’s Single Malt Irish Whiskeys: Watershed and Knockmealdowns

Recently, I received samples of two single malt Irish Whiskeys from the Tipperary Boutique Distillery in County Tipperary, Ireland. The distillery has only been operating since March of 2016, but already has some very high quality whiskey on the market. I foresee them doing great things under the management of co-owner Jennifer Nickerson. She is passionate about whiskey, especially sharing it with other women. Obviously, we are very on board with that!

Watershed is aged in six first-fill bourbon casks that are carefully chosen for each batch. It is cut to 47% ABV with Ballindoney fresh water that flows down into the watershed (get it?) around the distillery from the mountains that surround it.

This whiskey has a fairly sweet nose that was plummy with hints of raisins. The flavor starts off with some caramel notes and peppery spice on the front that subsides to a rich, buttery finish. It is a very easy sipper, and I can absolutely see why Watershed won double gold at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition! Watershed is delicious paired with cheese and chocolate, as the cheese brings out the buttery finish, and chocolate highlights the sweeter caramel notes on the front of the tongue.

Knockmealdowns is a 10 year single malt that is also matured in just six ex-bourbon casks and again cut with that fresh Ballindoney water to 47% ABV. It’s named after one of the mountain ranges surrounding the distillery from which that water flows.

Knockmealdowns has subtle oaky barrel char and mustiness on the nose, almost peaty. The flavor starts off with a bit of leather and more smoothness/less spice than The Watershed. It rounds out to a pleasant mustiness that I kept describing as my grandma’s basement! To be clear, this is a very good thing. I found Knockmealdowns to be best sipped neat so that I could experience all the nuances this whiskey has in its flavor profile.

Watershed and Knockmealdowns

Both Watershed and Knockmealdowns are available from Wine Globe, and they are moving onto the menus at more high end cocktail bars like The Whiskey House in San Diego.

Cheers to Tipperary and more women owned distilleries!

Does Glassware Make a Difference…? (Yes!)

I will admit, when the Portland Women Who Whiskey Chapter President suggested that we do a whiskey tasting comparing glassware for the blog, I was skeptical. I had always chosen my whiskey sipping vessels purely on aesthetics (or honestly, sometimes whatever I grabbed first out of the cupboard).

I also didn’t trust my palate or nose to be attuned enough to notice any differences. Thankfully, I was completely wrong, and this little experiment was really interesting and eye opening.

We tested five different glassware designs and used Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye at 90.4 proof. We also recruited some gentleman to taste with us in order to have a more varied experimental test group. We did a couple of rounds, both on an empty stomach and after eating a bunch of pizza to make sure nothing significantly changed our opinions (pro-tip, taste first then gorge on pizza if you want to experience the most nuance).

From L to R: Rocks, Norlan, Cut Crystal Snifter, Glencairn, Schott Zwiesel Pure Double Old Fashioned Rocks Glass

First, we used a plain old rocks glass. The kind you get handed at most bars. Unfortunately, most bars are doing it wrong. This was everyone’s least favorite. We couldn’t sense much of an aroma from the whiskey at all, just the alcohol. It also provided the most tasteless sips. We also used a higher end rocks glass, a Schott Zwiesel Pure Double Old Fashioned Rocks Glass, which diffused the aroma a bit more, but ultimately also fell flat.

Next, we tried the Norlan Whisky Glass. We had high expectations for this one since it claims to be scientifically designed to enhance the whisky experience. It’s basically a super lightweight rocks glass with a tulip shape inside the thin double glass walls. Unfortunately, no one enjoyed using these glasses or noticed any particular difference in the aroma or flavor of the rye. They are super lightweight, and it feels like you are going to crush them. Also, the awkward shape makes them unpleasant to hold in your hand. No one in the group recommended this glass.

On to the Glencairn! These short stemmed tulip shaped glasses, made from Glencairn crystal, are what you will most commonly find at high end distilleries for tasting. And with good reason! We all noticed a significant difference in the aromas in the rye using this glass. It smelled much mellower, and the alcohol smell had faded away significantly. Not surprisingly, it also tasted better. We could pick up a lot more of the flavor notes like tobacco and a sweeter fruity flavor. This glass we decided provided the best flavor experience, even though it wasn’t our number one winner. The thing we didn’t like was how far back you had to tip your head to drink. You had to lose eye contact and nearly strain your neck. It’s a great glass for purely tasting, but not so much for social sipping.

Onward to the Cut Crystal Snifter! This was our winner! We love the hand feel and heft of the cut crystal. The rye tasted very smooth and sweet, and the aroma remained as complex as it did in the Glencairn. It almost seemed like the scent and flavor blended more seamlessly with this glass. We could pick up the honey and almond notes in the rye, as well as the zip of pepper on the back. This is the glass I want to sip my whiskey with all the time.

Arome tasting glass

Our last glass was an Arome tasting glass . This glass was our second favorite. It mimicked the great dispersal of the rye’s aroma and flavor complexity that we found with the cut crystal snifter, however the hand feel just wasn’t as pleasant. It’s a bit of a strange shape to hold in your hand, and much more lightweight. We could all sense the way the shape of the glass holds the aroma and sort of flows it over your nose as the whiskey hits your tongue. This shape for tasting blows the “scientific” Norlan out of the water.

Post pizza, with a cat helper.

We were definitely focusing on what we’d like to have in our hand in a casual whiskey sipping setting and concentrated on all the elements of the experience, not just the actual flavors and aromas of the whiskey. So take all of this with a grain of salt (or a slice of pizza!). Ultimately, I would recommend doing your own glassware comparison and finding out what your favorite is.

Cheers!

Review | Jameson’s Whiskey Makers Series: Cooper’s Croze and Blender’s Dog

I was recently lucky enough to receive samples of two new releases (the two available in the U.S. so far) from Jameson’s Whiskey Makers Series, so I could have a nip and spread the word to you all!

First a bit of background. Both of these whiskeys are named after the important craftspeople and their tools that are essential to the process of creating whiskey.

Sample cuties

Cooper’s Croze

The Cooper is the craftsperson who creates the barrels that age the whiskey. The Croze is the essential tool that creates the groove that allows the head of the cask to be positioned. Jameson’s Cooper’s Croze honors their Head Cooper, Ger Buckley.

Blender’s Dog

The Blender, of course, if the craftsperson who combines whiskeys to make the flavors unique, complimentary and delicious. The Dog (also called the Whiskey thief) is the tool used to sample whiskey straight from the cask while working to create the best combinations. Jameson’s Blender's Dog honors their Head Blender, Billy Leighton.

How do they taste?!

I found both the whiskeys to be very unique from each other. The Cooper’s Croze was smoother than the Jameson Original I am used to. It has mild, honey like sweetness on the front that I really enjoyed. This is a great whiskey for sipping neat, perhaps paired with some fruit or sweeter cheeses after dinner.

The Blenders Dog was a much more tenacious whiskey. Less sweet on the front with more of the charred oak coming through. This whiskey was spicy with what tasted almost like undertones of peat from the tannins. I felt like I’d want to be sipping it along side a rare steak.

Both of these bottles are now available in U.S., retailing for around $80 a fifth. Perfect for sharing over the holidays!

Meet the Ladies of Freeland Spirits!

I recently met up with 2/3 of the ladies from Freeland Spirits, an up and coming craft distillery in Portland, on a sunny Saturday afternoon. I got to check out their brand new space, sip their beautiful gin, and to get the dirt on their up and coming all lady run distillery.

Right now, Freeland consists of a unique trio of women. Jill Kuehler is the founder, and the distillery is named after her tough Texas grandma. Molly Troupe is the Master distiller, with a Scottish masters in distilling and solid background in biochemistry. Cory Carman is growing the grains on her land in Wallowa County, starting with a crop of rye this spring. They plan to launch the gin in December…but the whiskey will take a bit more time, as it’s not done til Molly decides it’s done.

I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting Cory, but Jill and Molly had plenty to say.

Jill’s background is working in non-profits that work to empower women and girls, and when she was developing her plan for launching Freeland she knew she wanted a female distiller on board. Jill was introduced to Molly while she was the lead distiller at Oregon Spirits Distillers in Bend, OR. Jill also knew she wanted to use local Oregon grown grains and that led her to find Cory and her farm in Wallowa County. The trifecta was in place!

Woman distillers are still far too rare in the liquor industry, and I was really curious to learn what Molly’s experience has been. She told me that she occasionally has to work harder to be taken seriously due to her youthful looks (“are you even old enough to drink?”) and her gender (“Can I see the distiller?” “Sir, I am the distiller.” Blank stare.) However, once Molly starts talking about the art and science of creating whiskey, the boys club really has no option but to shut up and listen.

Gin experiments are the best experiments!

Like I mentioned, we are going to have to wait a while for the whiskey. However, the GIN. Oh, the gin. Molly has been hard at work making samples and experimenting with different botanicals and flavors, and I’m going to have to take a moment to gush. Now, I have always been fairly indifferent to gin. I love a good Negroni before a fancy meal, or a Hendricks and soda on a hot summer day. But I NEVER though there could be a gin that I’d want to just sip. Well ladies, this gin changed my mind. It is so perfectly balanced and smooth that it needs nothing other than an ice cube (not even that, tbh). The best way I can describe it is like you’re laying in the sun next to a patch of cucumbers in the middle of a juniper forest. It’s glorious. As part of the distilling process, Molly has been using a rotovap to vacuum distill perfectly preserved fresh ingredients that are then combined with the gin that is already being distilled with 14 botanicals. The delicate flavors shine. They are still waiting for the arrival of their 500 gallon copper pot still from Germany that Jill has been on a two year waiting list to receive! I also sampled a habanero version, and it tasted like the fresh pepper without any harshness or much heat. I began imagining a perfect gin Bloody Mary…

I thought it would also be wise to find out what these two ladies like to drink, and where.

Jill’s favorite drink at the moment is a bourbon Old Fashioned made with ponderosa pine bitters, honey and Woodford Reserve. She mentioned Tannery Bar and Teardrop Lounge as two of her favorite Portland cocktail bars.

Molly mainly prefers her whiskey neat, but occasionally enjoys the classic whiskey based cocktails like a Sazerac, Old Fashioned or Manhattan. She likes the Pope House Bourbon Lounge for their amazing selection and the Bible Club, with the latter getting special mention for the great treatment of its employees. Something near and dear to how they plan to run Freeland.

Whiskey smiles.

I am so excited to watch Freeland develop. To get my hands on a bottle of that ethereal gin. To sample cocktails in their tasting room when they open the doors. And most of all, to finally get a taste of that whiskey!

Most importantly, on November 7th, they are launching an Indiegogo campaign to secure the rest of their funding to get their distillery and tasting room up and running. Check it out here and become a backer!

Dank Derby Mule

For some background, I recently relocated to the beautiful state of Oregon, where marijuana just happens to be legal. As an avid woman who whiskeys, but hasn’t dabbled much in the devil weed, I had an idea (granted, I am certainly not the first). Combine them! In a gentle way, that my rookie cannabis user status could handle. Adding some homemade marijuana tincture to a bourbon cocktail felt like the perfect start. Here’s what I came up with.

The tools and ingredients.

Dank Derby Mule

1.5 oz Makers Mark Bourbon (any mid-grade bourbon will work)

*1 ml of Marijuana tincture (recipes vary), follow link to the Everclear version I used

3 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Juice of half a lime

Strong ginger beer (non-alcoholic, I used Reed’s)

Shake first four ingredients with a few ice cubes. Pour over a glass of crushed ice, and top with the ginger beer. Garnish with leaves if you’ve got em!

*those with stronger constitutions can add more tincture

Garnish may be hard to find...

This cocktail definitely falls under the category of earthy and herbal. And these flavors increase as you add more tincture. The lime and ginger beer come through with a nice spicy, sparkle on the front and then the ginger sort of melds with the peppery flavor of the weed on the back. My only complaint would be that the bourbon gets a little lost among all the other flavors that are happening.

The effects of the tincture start after about 20 minutes, and it’s far more gentle, almost warmish feeling of well-being that matches well with the buzz from the bourbon. It’s more subtle than smoking by far.

I think this makes a great pre-dinner cocktail, as it helps get your appetite revved up…and for some reason all the food tastes better.

Announcing the wWw New Jersey Chapter!

is thrilled to announce the new

wWw New Jersey Chapter! 

Join Women Who Whiskey, Wigle Whiskey, and Jersey Wines & Spirits for the informal soft launch of our new wWw New Jersey Chapter!

Over the last few years, wWw New York has expanded to include members from all around the tri-state area, which has been amazing! But as we love having ladies join us from near and far, we thought it was high time to start hosting events a little closer to home for some of our ladies across the river.

In April, join us in Jersey City, NJ for the soft launch of our wWw New Jersey Chapter!

Date: Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Time: 6:30 - 8:00 PM

Location: Jersey Wines & Spirits, 492 Jersey Ave, Jersey City, NJ

Tickets: $10, include samples of various Wigle Whiskey spirits & expression, cocktails, light bites, giveaways

Join the

wWw New Jersey Chapter! 

As we transition to a separate wWw New Jersey Chapter, we want to make sure that anyone currently on the New York list who wants to start receiving New Jersey invitations receives them! 

Please sign up below to receive invitations to New Jersey Chapter events! Feel free to invite your friends, as well as any whiskey-loving gentlemen you know! We maintain a Gentlemen's List for our quarterly(ish) mixed company Gentlemen Edition events.
 

If you'd like to stay subscribed to New York events still, that's fine! We'll keep you on both lists. If you want to join the NJ list but remove yourself from the NY list, email us at info@womenwhowhiskey.club and we can update your membership, or click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email. 

wWw Gift Guide: Our Favorite Drams from This Year

Whether you're shopping for yourself or the whiskey lovers in your life, let us help you find that perfect gift! In this guide, we'll share some of our favorite drams from this year! Check out our gift guides for Home & Bar, Apparel & Accessories, and for the Whiskey Reader! 

Featured Distillery

We love pretty much everything from Wigle Distillery! From their Organic Monongahela Rye, to the Straight Allegheny Wheat Whiskey, from their spiced whiskey, to honey mead, it's all delicious - we even love their gin! Plus it's an independent, family-run company staffed with only the nicest, most enthusiastic people who love their craft and make it their mission to share their delicious products with as many people as possible. No matter the tastes of your whiskey lover, there's something for every one here! 

Bourbon

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon // Mash & Grape

Widow Jane Straight Bourbon // Mash & Grape

FEW Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey // Mash & Grape

I. W. Harper 15 Year Bourbon // Mash & Grape

Rye

High West Rendezvous Rye // Mash & Grape

Redemption Rye // Mash & Grape

Hudson Maple Cask Rye // Mash & Grape

WhistlePig Old World Limited Release Rye //Mash & Grape

Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye // Mash & Grape

Jack Daniel's Select Single Barrel Rye // Mash & Grape

Scotch

Bruichladdich Islay Barley Single Malt Scotch // Mash & Grape

Glenfiddich 15 Year Solera Reserve // Mash & Grape

The Glenlivet Founder's Reserve // Mash & Grape

Irish

Redbreast Lustau Edition Sherry Finish // Shop Jameson

Green Spot // Mash & Grape

Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition // Mash & Grape

White Whiskey

Standard Spirit Rye & Corn Heart Cut Moonshine // Mash & Grape

Manhattan Moonshine // Mash & Grape