With Labor Day approaching, summer Fridays, long days and hot weather are nearly over, but why not go out with a bang? The below bourbon-based recipes all start with Maker’s Mark Bourbon, the Kentucky staple that has forever changed the inspiration of chefs and bartenders with its smooth and full character. The bourbon trend shows no sign of slowing down, so why not celebrate the American work force with an American classic?

Maker’s Mark® Bourbon Ice Cream topped with Poached Peaches and Hazelnut Crunch
Chef Johnny Iuzzini
Maker’s Mark® Ice Cream
Makes 1 1/2 pints

2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean split lengthwise and scraped
4 large yolks
½ cup sugar
1 pinch salt
¼ cup Maker’s Mark®

1. Combine the milk, salt, scraped vanilla bean and seeds in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Remove from the heat, cover with plastic wrap, and infuse 10 minutes.
2. While the milk is being infused, whisk together the yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until the mixture turns pale.  Set up an ice bath with a slightly smaller stainless steel bowl set into a larger bowl filled with ice water and keep close at hand.
3. Strain the milk into a medium saucepan and bring back to a simmer.  Gradually pour half of the hot liquid over the yolks, whisking to combine.  Return the entire mixture to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula.  When the mixture thickens slightly, lightly coat the back of the spatula, and when the slight foam on top is the same color as the liquid underneath strain into the prepared small bowl.  Cool completely and then stir in the bourbon.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  (The ice cream may be prepared up to this point a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator overnight.) 
4. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions and reserve, covered in plastic wrap, in the freezer for 1-2 hours before serving.
 
Poached Peaches
8 leaves fresh verbena
20 ounces simple syrup (2 cups sugar and 2 cups) water
3 tablespoons Maker’s Mark®
2 peaches (not too ripe)

Bring simple syrup, bourbon and verbena to a simmer. Meanwhile cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. Poach slowly until the fruit is tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Hazelnut Crunch
2 cups hazelnuts, cracked slightly
4 teaspoons honey
Heavy pinch of salt
1 egg white, beaten

Combine all ingredients and rub together, bake until golden brown at 350°F. Crack into pieces.

Maker’s Mark® Bourbon Peach Tea
1 part Maker’s Mark® Bourbon
1/2 part DeKuyper® Peach Schnapps
Unsweetened iced tea

Fill tall glass with ice. Add Maker’s Mark® and peach schnapps. Top off with unsweetened iced tea. Garnish with peach.

Maker’s Mark® Bourbon BBQ Ribs
Chef Joey Campanaro, Owner, Little Owl

Prep Time: 24 hours/day beforehand. Cook Time: 5 hours. Level: Easy.
Serves 4-6

2 cups Makers Mark ®
1 bunch cilantro – cleaned and roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
¼ cup fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 rack of peeled pork spare ribs
3 tablespoons butter
½ white onion, peeled and diced ½”
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup tomato juice
1 cup ketchup
1 cup water
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Fresh red radish, for garnish

1. In a large bowl, mix the Maker’s Mark®, cilantro, garlic, ginger, garlic, cumin, cayenne, curry, mustard seeds, Dijon and brown sugar and salt until well combined. Pour into a shallow baking dish. Submerge the full rack of ribs in the marinade and refrigerate over night.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. After 24 hours, remove the ribs, brushing off any excess marinade and spices (reserve the marinade for the barbecue sauce), and place on baking sheet and roast in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the rack from the oven, wrap the ribs tightly in foil and cool in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
3. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the marinade liquid and all of its components, the pineapple and tomato juice, ketchup, and water. Cook this mixture for 45 minutes on a medium simmer, stirring occasionally.
4. When the ribs have cooled down, slice them in between each bone to separate them from the rack and place in a large mixing bowl. Strain the barbecue sauce through a fine mesh sieve and pour over the ribs, tossing to thoroughly coat them.
5. Place the individual ribs in a single layer in an ample-sized baking dish, pouring the excess barbecue sauce over the ribs, and return to the oven. Lower the heat on the oven to 350°F and bake for an additional hour, turning the ribs occasionally to insure sauce coverage.
6. The ribs will be tender and the sauce should glaze the ribs during the baking process. Serve hot with picked cilantro leaves, thinly sliced radishes, and Maker’s Mark® “chilled neat”.

In following the 2012 Presidential Race, you’ve probably chuckled over some of the tongue-in-cheek terms coined in the last few months. The ones that stick certainly have the potential to sway votes and enter the popular lexicon.

The same terms are great fun on cocktail menus and will start conversations at your election season entertaining occasions. Serve the below cocktails to your friends and incite some light-hearted political intrigue. Cheers,

It’s time for honesty! It’s time to bring people together! It’s time to mix things up.

Romney Hood

1-1/2 parts Maker’s Mark® Bourbon
Fresh mint
2 tablespoons simple syrup muddled with mint
Squeeze juice of two lime wedges
Splash of triple sec

Mix all together and top off with a splash of soda. Serve on the rocks in a tall glass rimmed with sugar. Garnish with a lime wedge

The Obamacare

1-1/2 parts Maker’s Mark® Bourbon
1/2 part sweet vermouth
1 teaspoon maraschino cherry juice
1 maraschino cherry

Shake all together for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled Manhattan glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry (served up, no ice)

With the 2012 London Olympic Games officially in the books, it is time to recognize the unforgettable performances displayed by our country’s greatest athletes. The 46 gold medals won by the U.S. at this year’s games marks the highest gold medal total our nation has ever taken home at a “road” Olympics. Why not make a toast to this patriotic moment with America’s own Maker’s 46?

Maker’s 46 is the first new bourbon to be handcrafted out of the Kentucky-based Maker’s Mark Distillery in over fifty years. Maker’s 46 has a longer finish than the original and some added spice. Hand crafted and aged to maturity, this 94 proof whisky packs a bold taste without the bitter bite of older whiskies.

Show your American spirit with an American spirit. Maker’s 46 is the obvious way to recognize the hard work put forth by the most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, the unstoppable volleyball duo in Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings, and the rest of the gold medal-winning American Olympians. There are no shortcuts to winning Olympic gold medals and there are no shortcuts to a handcrafted bourbon aged to perfection.

The retail price of Maker’s 46 is $35.00.

THE LAKE OF MENTEITH HOTEL WELCOMES RARE GLENGOYNE 40YO

TO ITS AWARD WINNING MALT VAULT

The Lake of Menteith Hotel in Perthshire is delighted to announce the addition of a Limited Edition Glengoyne 40 Years Old Highland Single Malt to its award winning Malt Vault.

The Glengoyne 40 Years Old is the oldest, most valuable and finest, Highland Single Malt ever released by Glengoyne Distillery in its 175 year history.

The Lake of Menteith Hotel will be the first and only hotel in the whole of the UK to offer guests the exclusive Glengoyne Limited Edition 40 Years Old Single Malt Whisky by the dram. The first dram costs £450, with subsequent drams costing £220 thereafter. Only 250 of the handcrafted Glencairn Crystal decanters of the Glengoyne 40 Years Old were produced and have now completely sold out.

There are only a handful of venues worldwide where this whisky is available by the dram and the Lake of Menteith’s decision to add this rare and exclusive whisky to its Malt Vault reinforces the Hotel’s commitment to supporting high quality, local brands. Glengoyne Distillery lies just 15 miles from the Lake.

The embodiment of Glengoyne’s famed authentic and unpeated taste, the natural strength 40 Years Old Highland Single Malt is regarded by the Glengoyne Distillery to be one of the finest whiskies they have ever produced. Its superior quality and flavour reflect Glengoyne’s long standing commitment and enthusiasm for their craft and heritage.

Ian Fleming, owner of the Lake of Menteith Hotel commented, “It has been a great year for the Hotel, having won a Special Commendation for our Malt Vault at the Scottish Hotel Awards earlier this year. We are delighted to add this elite bottle of whisky to our collection. To be one of the only locations worldwide to offer guests the chance to try this famous malt by the dram is really exciting and we are sure the Lake of Menteith will be popular with Whisky connoisseurs from around the UK and overseas.”

Glengoyne Highland Single Malt is one of the leading premium malt whiskies in the world and has been distilled at Glengoyne Distillery since 1833. The multi gold award-winning range includes the Single Malt 10 and 12 Years Old, 12 Years Old Cask Strength, 17 Years Old and 21 Years Old, as well as a number of limited edition single casks released each year.

Alan Wardrop, UK Sales Manager at Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd, brand owners of Glengoyne added “Famed for showcasing and stocking only the very best of Scottish whisky, The Lake’s Malt Vault is the natural home for the Glengoyne 40 Years Old. There is a shared affinity between Glengoyne and the Lake of Menteith Hotel, not only geographically, but in the pride and passion for what they do. We hope visitors to the Lake of Menteith Hotel will enjoy a dram of 40 Years Old, and the rest of the Glengoyne range, for years to come.”

Nestling on the edge of the only lake in Scotland, the award winning Lake of Menteith Hotel is only an hour’s drive from both Glasgow and Edinburgh. Refurbished in the style of a New England waterfront hotel, it is a popular haunt for whisky lovers and foodies alike and enjoys an excellent reputation for its locally sourced cuisine.

The Lake of Menteith Hotel was on top form at the 9th Annual Scottish Hotel Awards 2012 on 20th May, receiving the Country Hotel Bar of the Year Award for the second year running as well as a General Manager Gold Medal for GM Alistair Wilson and a Bedroom Design Gold Medal for the new Lake View Terraced Rooms. The team were also delighted to win a Wine & Spirits Special Commendation in recognition of the hotel’s highly acclaimed Malt Vault.

For further information on Glengoyne Single Highland Malt visit www.glengoyne.com

For further information about the Hotel please contact the Lake of Menteith on 01877 385 258 or visit www.lake-hotel.com

Photo caption:

Left: Alan Wardop, UK sales manager , Ian Macleod Distillers presents Ian Fleming, owner of Lake of Menteith Hotel with a rare, valuable addition to the hotel’s famed whisky collection: The Glengoyne 40 Years Old

Middle: Now sold out, the super-premium Glengoyne 40 Years Old Highland Single Malt, 

Right: The lake of Menteith’s famous Whisky Vault.

Please see below video The Macallan created to thank their fans for reaching the 100,000 fans milestone on Facebook.

The Macallan, single malt whisky brand thank their 100,000 Facebook fans:

To celebrate breaking through the 100,000 Facebook fans mark, The Macallan team at the distillery filmed a very special ‘thank you’ for all of their Facebook fans around the world. Shot on The Macallan’s Easter Elchies Estate, the distillery team name-check random fans for ‘being their friend on Facebook’. The campaign has been devised by PR and digital marketing consultancy, The BIG Partnership, who deliver social marketing and PR for The Macallan.

THE MOVIE

HIGHLAND PARK CLINCHES SEVEN NEW ACCOLADES

The award winning single malt whisky Highland Park, distributed by Maxxium UK, has clinched a total of seven new awards for both Thor and Highland Park 50 year old reinforcing the brand’s ability to continue to win the highest accolades for new and limited editions.

Following the recent launch of Thor, the first edition of Highland Park’s stunning Valhalla Collection, (a range of four unique whiskies, released annually, taking inspiration from the legendary Nordic gods of old) it has been awarded the first ever Spirit Design Masters Award at The Spirits Business 2012 Awards. The stunning 16 year old single malt, which is the newest edition to the Highland Park family, also secured Gold, Best in Class at the International Spirits Challenge 2012. This is one of the most respected and influential spirit competitions in the world, receiving more than 1000 entries from across 70 countries.

Highland Park’s oldest ever island single malt whisky – Highland Park 50 year old, which launched exclusively at Harrods, London in 2010 has also collected a total of four awards. As well as winning Best Design at the World Whiskies Award 2012, this unique bottle, encased in an intricate ‘net cage’ of hand-crafted ornate Sterling silver created by Scottish jewellery designer Maeve Gillies, also took home the Best Limited Edition at the World Whiskies Design Awards. With only 275 bottles produced this prestigious edition was also named Best Single Malt Scotch 41 Years and Over (Multiple Casks), at the 2012 Whisky Bible Awards.

Adding to the brands successful run recently both Highland Park 50 year old and Thor have also both clinched a gold medal for design and packaging at the International Spirits Challenge 2012.

Peter Sandstrom, marketing director for Maxxium said: “To receive recognition from these respected industry bodies is a great honour and we are thrilled with the success we have achieved this year. The quality of the competition means that all of these awards are of great significance to us. We’re looking forward to building on this success in the near future, especially in terms of our newer editions, which will allow us to maintain our award winning reputation within the industry.”

To find out more about Highland Park please visit www.highlandpark.co.uk

Notes:

Highland Park:

Five keystones contribute to making the Best Spirit in the World:

· Hand-turned malt adds to the deliciously succulent, balanced layers of aromatic character found in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

· Aromatic peat gives a delectably seductive, luxuriant floral sweetness to Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

· Cool maturation enhances the smooth character of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

· Sherry oak casks contribute to the distinctive richness and multi-dimensional complexity of Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

· Cask harmonisation ensures consistency and balance in Highland Park single malt Scotch whisky.

Established in 1798 on Orkney, Highland Park is one of the most remote Scotch whisky distilleries in the world. For over 200 years, the distillery has combined time old tradition and the very best craftsmanship to achieve perfection. Its core range of 12, 18, 21, 25, 30 and 40 year old single malt is consistently acclaimed by connoisseurs and experts.

We are delighted with our new website and hope you are too… To improve it further we are looking for your help and input. We would like to know what you want to see on the site so we can make our online home as interesting and useful as possible for our friends around the world.

Everyone who fills in the survey will be entered into our prize draw to win one of six bottles of our magical 12 Years Old or 15 Years Old ‘Darkest’.

Best wishes from Islay,

The Bowmore team

The Whisky Show 2012 was recently held in Sydney and attracted over 1000 attendees making it the biggest whisky event in Australia.

“We wanted to create something big that would have appeal to both exhibitors and attendees and I think we achieved that”,says Larry Aronson, director of World of Whisky the event organiser. “it was tough convincing distributors to part with budget in these difficult times, but we did it and frankly the results were amazing”.”All the major players were there as well as most the smaller distributors. I am particularly pleased with the presence of the Australian Distilleries, they were completely swamped by attendees wanting to know more about home grown whiskies”. There were over 150 whiskies to try over the two days and purchases could be made at discounted prices.

Most exhibitors have confirmed their attendance for next year’s show and the few who did not attend this year have already expressed an interest for 2013.

” We are already looking at ways of making it even bigger and better for next year”, Aronson said.

The Whisky Show 2012

BUFFALO TRACE DISTILLERY RELEASES GIANT FRENCH OAK BARREL EXPERIMENTS

Whiskey aged for 19 years and 23 years!

FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Aug. 9, 2012) There’s been much discussion and experimentation with aging whiskey in small barrels, but what about experimenting with large barrels? More than two decades ago, Buffalo Trace Distillery set out to do just that. American whiskey typically ages in 53 gallon oak barrels, but this whiskey matured in 135 gallon French oak barrels, one for 19 years and one for 23 years. Both barrels were filled with Buffalo Trace rye bourbon mash recipe #2, aged on the ground floor of Warehouse K, chill filtered and bottled at 90 proof. The giant barrels were given a #3 char, which is different from Buffalo Trace’s typical #4 char.

One important observation from this experiment was the evaporation rate was much lower for the larger barrels than the typical 53 gallon barrel. Other details on each are as follows:

19 Year Old Giant French Oak Barrel – This 135 gallon barrel was filled on January 28, 1993 and was bottled June 28, 2012. It came off the still at 135 proof and was entered into the barrel at 129.8 proof. The evaporation rate on this barrel was 34.8%, which is considerably lower than a typical 53 gallon barrel, which averages 55-60% evaporation for the same time frame. The flavor is clean and well rounded. The taste is sweeter than expected with caramel and butterscotch notes followed by an oaky finish

23 Year Old Giant French Oak Barrel – This giant barrel was also 135 gallons, filled on May 17, 1989 and bottled on June 27, 2012. The whiskey entered into the barrel at 130 proof and the evaporation rate was lower at 46.8% than a typical sized 23 year-old barrel. After 23 years, the flavor of this whiskey is complex and full bodied with notes of sassafras, caramel, birch, and tea berry.

“Both of these barrels yielded pleasant tasting whiskeys, and we were surprised about the evaporation rate being so low. Evidently the large size helped retain more of the whiskey while also imparting a well-rounded and full bodied flavor,” said Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley.

These giant barrels are part of the more than 1,500 experimental barrels of whiskey aging in the warehouses of Buffalo Trace Distillery. Each of these barrels has unique characteristics that differentiate it from all others. Some examples of these experiments include unique mash bills, type of wood and barrel toasts. In order to further increase the scope, flexibility and range of the experimental program, an entire micro distillery, named The Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. “OFC” Micro Distillery, complete with cookers, fermenting tanks, and a state-of-the-art micro still has been constructed within Buffalo Trace Distillery.

The Experimental Collection will be packaged in 375ml bottles. Each label will include all the pertinent information unique to that barrel of whiskey. These whiskeys will retail for approximately $46.35 each. These rare experimental bottles should be available in September. For more information on the Experimental Collection or the other products of Buffalo Trace Distillery, please contact Kris Comstock at kcomstock@buffalotrace.com

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named Whisky Magazine 2010 World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com

TOMATIN WINS TOP PRIZE AT EDINBURGH WHISKY FRINGE

Tomatin Distillery is celebrating having been awarded this year’s ‘The Spirit of Whisky Fringe Award’ at the Whisky Fringe held in Edinburgh 3‐5 August 2012. The Tomatin 30 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky was voted the outright winner by visitors to the event, and the Tomatin 1982 single cask also appeared in the top 10 coming in 5th place.

The Whisky Fringe is an annual event held in the stunning venue of The Mansfield Traquair in Edinburgh, organised by whisky retailer Royal Mile Whiskies. Now in its 11th year, the sell‐out 3 day event presents over 200 whiskies to 500 visitors who vote for their favourite whisky they have sampled.

Tomatin Distillery also had two expressions in the top ten last year, including their limited edition ‘Decades’ release marking Douglas Campbell’s 50 years’ service to the company which came in 5th place. The previous bottling of Tomatin 30 year old came in 9th place, but this year’s new bottling clearly took the show by storm.

Stephen Bremner, Sales Director, commented: “It is a great achievement and testament to the quality of our spirit that we have had two of our whiskies in the top ten for the past two years at this popular event, and we are
absolutely delighted that our new edition 30 year old won the top prize. What makes this award so special is that it is voted for not by industry experts but by customers themselves, so we are thrilled our whiskies rate so highly.”

Both the Tomatin 30 Year Old and 1982 Single Cask are available to buy from www.royalmilewhiskies.com.

Notes

 Whisky Fringe 2012, 3rd, 4th & 5th August 2012. Highly regarded for a relaxed atmosphere, great value and high standard of exhibitor. 26 exhibitor stands, over 200 whiskies on show. 500 tickets per day. Tickets sell out within 20 minutes of being released for sale. Held at The Mansfield Traquair, Edinburgh (little known former church, sometimes referred to as the Sistine Chapel of Edinburgh)
 Related links: http://www.royalmilewhiskies.com/viewindex.asp?article_id=WF12
 The Tomatin Distillery Co Ltd is a producer and blender of Scotch whisky, boasting a strong core range of single malt whiskies along with a range of popular blends.
 Website: www.tomatin.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/Tomatin1897 Twitter: www.twitter.com/Tomatin1897
 The distillery was established in 1897, and while historically the whisky produced was primarily sold for use in other brands of blended whisky, the company is now very focussed on growing the Tomatin single malt brand in its own right.
 The company’s most popular blends are The Antiquary, The Talisman and Big ‘T’.
 The distillery is owned by Japanese company Takara Shuzo: http://www.takarashuzo.co.jp/english/index.htm