After a limited release last April in just Kentucky, Bulleit’s new Barrel Strength bourbon is starting to roll out in major cities like San Francisco and New York. To celebrate, the company held a press event a few weeks ago with founder Tom Bulleit, who shared not only a taste of the 125-proof bourbon with guests, but also a few cocktails where Barrel Strength really shines (and a few to make with traditional Bulleit and Bulleit Rye if Barrel Strength isn’t available where you are just yet).
We were on hand for the event, and will have our interview with Tom up soon; however, for the time being we thought we’d share a look at some of the amazing cocktails created by the bartenders at Tradition in San Francisco that were on hand for the evening, as well as recipes for how to make them yourself at home. Trust us, you want to make these at home.
Shelbyville
Ingredients:
.75 oz. Bulleit Barrel Strength
.5 oz. lemon juice
.25 oz. amaretto
2 dashes grenadine
1 dash aromatic bitters
Directions: Shake ingredients and double strain into a couple glass. Garnish with an orange peel.
Tom’s Delight
Ingredients:
1 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
.25 oz. peach liqueur
.25 oz. lemon juice
1 bar spoon vanilla syrup
3 dashes aromatic bitters
Directions: Shake ingredients and double strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Marie Laveau
Ingredients:
.75 oz. Bulleit Rye
.25 oz. amaro
.25 oz. clove cognac
1 bar spoon black tea honey
1 dash white pepper tincture
1 dash aromatic bitters
Directions: Stir ingredients and pour over ice. Garnish with a dehydrated lemon wheel.
Tradition
Ingredients:
1 oz. Bulleit Barrel Strength
1 dash aromatic bitters
1 dash dry curaçao
1 bar spoon gomme syrup
Directions: Stir ingredients and pour over ice. Garnish with a lemon peel.
Emily is Paste’s Assistant Drink Editor and taste-tested all these cocktails personally. You can see what she’s drinking right now by following her on Twitter @emily.