We celebrated a birthday last weekend. We are getting older; that’s undeniable. Do you know what soothes the sting? Rye whiskey. It may not work miracles, but it . . . wait, yes, it does works miracles. It’s downright miraculous.
We’ve meant to open this bottle of Masterson’s 10 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey from 3 Badge Mixology. The distiller describes Masterson’s as being “made from all rye and meet[ing] the strictest definition of traditional rye whiskey.” It says, “The rye comes from the Pacific Northwest, and Masterson’s chooses grain that exhibits the perfect combination of weight, plumpness and rich, earthy fragrance. Using pure glacial water from the northern Rocky Mountains, Masterson’s meticulous distillation process uses an oldfashioned pot still. The spirit is then aged in charred white oak casks for ten years.”
This bottle of Masterson’s has sat on a bar shelf collecting dust while we waited for a proper occasion. Our birthday counts, so in celebration of us, we crafted our go-to cocktail, a Horsefeather. It’s basically a Moscow Mule with whiskey instead of vodka and without the copper mug.
The Horsefeather cocktail is refreshing but not sweet, boozy but not overpowering. The ginger provides a entertaining bit of spice. The Masterson’s drinks smooth, really smooth. And, the cocktail is easy to make. There aren’t 10 steps; nothing need be lit on fire or hand crushed.
Here how to make a Horsefeather cocktail.
Horsefeather cocktail
Ingredients
- 1.5 ounces of whiskey
- Three ounces of ginger beer
- Half a lime squeezed (or one tablespoon of lime juice)
- Two dashes of bitters
Directions
In a rocks glass, place one of these beautiful spheres of ice (if you have the requisite ice sphere mold, otherwise use ordinary ice). In a separate cup, add the ingredients in the order listed above. Stir lightly—being aware of the ginger beer’s carbonation. Pour over ice, and serve.
We didn’t garnish it with lime peel here, but consider it.
By the way, if you haven’t heard of 3 Badge Mixology, check it out. It’s a craft spirits company out of Sonoma, California. They sell great stuff, including gin, bourbon, rum, and our favorite tequila.
