30.12.08

Jim Beam An American Whiskey

Jim Beam is one of the big names of bourbon, so there's no surprise to find a big man behind it all. Booker Noe isn't just physically huge, he is one of the foundation stones of the modern industry. Booker is Jim's grandson and still lives in Jim's old house in Bardstown.

Talk to him and you are tapping straight into the history of bourbon itself.
Today, Jim Beam is the world's biggest selling bourbon, but in 1934 things weren't so rosy. Prohibition had been in force for 13 years, and there was no stock left. To start up again would be expensive and risky. But this didn't deter Jim who, aged 70, built a new distillery in Clermont in just 120 days. What else could a Beam do? Whiskey making runs in their veins. After all, Booker's great-great-great grandfather Jacob Beam started making whiskey commercially in 1795.

This was the distilling capital of the world before it was put out of business by the government,' says Booker. 'Why did he start it up again? Remember, he'd been in the whiskey business for 40 years before Prohibition. Beams have now been making bourbon for 205 years.'

Booker has now passed the reins to Jerry Dalton, the first non-Beam to be appointed master distiller. The fact that he lived in the house directly behind Booker's is pure coincidence. 'Well, even a blind hog finds an acorn every so often!' he laughs. For all his modesty, Jerry is a highly respected distiller and, though reluctant to give away too many company secrets, will take you deep into the process.

There's a sequence of special quirks at work in Beam's two plants, but it's yeast that Jerry zooms in on. For Scottish distillers, yeast is merely a catalyst that converts sugar to alcohol and CO2- However, for bourbon distillers it has almost mystical properties and each firm guards its own strain(s): Beam is still using the yeasts propagated by Jim in his kitchen in the 1930s.

'Different yeasts produce different levels of fusel oil, which will ultimately have an effect on the flavour,' Jerry explains. 'In ageing, the fusel oils form esters with whatever acids are present. Each yeast will give different proportions of these fusel oils, so you get different flavour profiles.

When you combine the special yeasts with the higher-than-average percentage of backset (which produces what Jerry calls Beam's 'bold' flavour), and the two-and-a-half times distillation (the vapour from the beer still passes through a thumper before being redistilled in the doubler) the signature Beam character is taking shape.
But if Jim Beam White Label is the world's best-known bourbon, it's the firm's small batch range which is rightly making waves. The four-strong selection is clear evidence of how complex a spirit bourbon can be, but the one closest to Booker's heart, not surprisingly, is the one which he selects personally and which carries his name.

'Booker's is the only one that's bottled at the same proof at which it went into the barrel,' he says, with considerable relish. 'It's whiskey like it was a hundred years ago'.
If the style hasn't changed, the methods certainly have. Does today's high-tech approach of distilling make Jerry less of an artist and more of a scientist? 'I'm a bit of both,' he says. 'There's an art to making bourbon that has evolved over two hundred years, but I'm also a scientist who wants to find better ways to control the process and preserve the mystery behind it all'.

The techniques may be space-age, but the small batch range signals a return to a time when bourbon meant big, bold and flavoursome whiskey. 'People just kinda got away from flavour,' muses Booker. 'After Prohibition they cut the proof or blended it to make it go further. Now flavour's coming back. The industry's been badly beat up, but now it's rolling again. It'll be back now that people are tasting this super-good whiskey. Hell yes, bourbon's back.

TASTING NOTES

Jim Beam White Label 4-year-old
80ฐproof Lightly oaked, with some light spicy notes. Clean and sound. * *

Small batch range

Basil Hayden 8-year-old

80ฐproof Light and rye-accented, with plenty of lemon and tobacco leaf notes. Clean, with crisp rye mixing it with dark, ripe, nutty fruit. * * *

Baker's 7-year-old

107 proof Richer, with a leather armchair kind of nose and lots of overripe fruit. Slightly biscuity to start with, then good sweet vanilla fruit. * * *

Knob Creek 9-year-old

100 proof Rich and sweet with honey, blackberry and spun sugar. Elegant and super-ripe, with a hint of vanilla and some light cinnamon spice on the finish. * * * * *

Booker's 7-year-old

126.5 proof Amazingly complex without water, for such a powerful Bourbon - and a bit like a grizzly bear dancing. Huge and flavour-packed with raisin, chestnut honey, black cherry, pepper, cinnamon and toffee. Rich and immensely powerful, mixing orange peel, creme brulee and tobacco/cigar blown along by a hickory wind. Immense. **** *

20.12.08

Maker Mark American Whiskey

Makers Mark
The Samuels, like the Beams, are part and parcel of Kentucky's history. The family has been a distillers since 1780, and their TW Samuels brand was an early classic. One of their ancestors, Rueben Samuels, married Zerelda James, whose sons became better known for a less peaceful way of life. Bill Samuels, current boss of Maker's Mark, still has Jesse's and Frank's pistols hanging on the wall of his office.

A discussion of the human influence on whiskey leads Bill to muse on his father, Bill Samuels Sr, who was something of a visionary in these parts. He bought the run-down Happy Hollow distillery in 1953 and started making a new kind of bourbon his way, in a different, softer style. After consulting another legend of the industry, Pappy Van Winkle, he created a new mashbill using winter wheat instead of rye, aged the whiskey for longer and sold it at a higher price. Not the standard approach in post-war Kentucky.

'In 1953, Dad was talking of how people were looking for a more refined version of bourbon,' recalls Bill. 'He knew the things that he wanted to preserve, the ones he wanted to throw out. He was going to create a bourbon to suit his taste: it had damn-all to do with the market! He just thought bourbon should taste better'.

The industry is full of such purely personal likes and dislikes dictating the taste of a brand. Bill Sr simply didn't like aggressive whiskey, so he changed everything. His was a gentle crusade. The family may be related to the James gang, but coming out guns blazing just ain't their style. Bill Sr may have had the vision, but it was his son who took Maker's Mark across the world, talking up high-quality, premium-priced liquor at the time the industry was at its nadir. Still, the Maker's Mark crusade must have seemed doomed. Tn the 1960s there wasn't a nickel's-worth of difference between bourbon and bourbon-flavoured vodka', says Bill.

'The industry was at the end of the road because no-one could afford the $100 barrel. Bourbon can never be a mass-market commodity, because we have that high cost legally built in'. Having to buy new barrels is less problematic when the product is selling for a higher price.

You can list the differences in production that set Maker's Mark apart: the mashbill; the yeast strain created by Bill's great-greatญgrandfather; the double distillation; the charcoal added to the white dog as a filtering agent; the air-dried wood; the way the barrels are rotated in the high-rack warehouses. All these give the product its character, but ultimately Maker's Mark is about the stubborn Samuels family and the people who work in the distillery.

Bill Sr has been proved right. These days premium bourbon is one of the most exciting areas in world whisky, but Bill refuses to take the credit for this turnaround. Like all great whisky men he realizes he's part of a team. 'If I could do one little thing, I'd bring out my ancestors to see that bourbon is finally no longer a wilderness product. The six generations before me did the heavy lifting,' he says. 'Dad said he'd change the face of bourbon. When he started no-one gave him a chance, but by the time I retire bourbon will be the talk of the town'.

He believes the new premium sector will be a major factor in restoring pride to the industry. 'Higher margins fire up the creative juices,' he says. 'The industry is improving and the products are infinitely better, because they are high price. Now there's an opportunity for the talented people in the industry to practise their art and not just produce a low-cost product. The question is whether we have sufficient discipline not to disappoint people's high expectations ... that's what Dad would have said.'

TASTING NOTES

Maker's Mark 90ฐproof Lovely, complex mix of flowers, cumin, cinnamon, marzipan/anise, vanilla and light honey. A soft start, then great interplay between silky-soft honeyed fruit, vanilla-toffee and balanced oak flavours. Some chocolate on the finish. Gentle, easy and complex. *****

15.12.08

Potted Whiskey

It would be appropriate for a people-based profile of whisky to begin by naming the first whisky maker. Sadly, no-one knows who he was. In fact, no-one knows who the first distiller was. It is clear that from AD 4 onwards, alchemists in China, India, Arabia, Egypt and Greece were using distillation to make turpentine, medicines, makeup (al-kohl, our alcohol) and perfumes, but there is no evidence that they adapted brewing techniques to make whisky.

How the Irish and Scots got in on the act is equally mysterious. The Celts may have known about distillation, but apart from a couple of enigmatic references in the 6th century AD there's no proof. What is agreed is that distillation arrived in Scotland with the monks of the Celtic Church, suggesting that distillation was already taking place in Ireland - perhaps Irish monks had encountered the art in Sicily or Andalucia, or through their ancient trading links with the Phoenicians.

By the time Friar John Cor bought his famous eight bolls of malt in 1495 - the first record of whisky making in Scotland -distillation was widely practised across Europe. It is hardly surprising that the first distillers were monks: the water of life, aquavitae (uisge beatha in Scots Gaelic) was a medicine made in monastic laboratories, and markedly different to today's whisky. Flavoured with heather, honey, roots, herbs and spices - partly to hide off-flavours, partly because it was a medicine -this medieval mix was closer to a crude whisky liqueur.

Until the beginning of the 19th century the top Irish brands were flavoured in this way. It was only when whisky began to be made in great houses and crofts alike that it became recognisable as the drink we know today. Distillers have always used the main crop of their region as the base for their spirits, and in Scotland and Ireland that meant barley. Making whisky was a means of using up surplus grain: in winter, cattle could be fed on the grains left after mashing and crofters could use their whisky as part-payment of rent. Made in batches in small pot stills, the process used for malt whisky today, whisky soon became an integral part of rural life.

When crofter-distillers from Scotland arc Ireland were driven off their land from 1 ~4; onwards, whisky spread to America and Canada. Though rye whiskey had been made as early as 1640, it was this sudden wave of immigrants that established whiskey as North America's spirit. They, too, used the local grains - rye, corn and wheat - and by 1783 commercial production had kicked or: in Kentucky.

By 1825, the whisky industry in Scotland and Ireland was controlled by men of capin. Gone were the days of the crofter-distiller making enough to fuel the craic and the ceilidh and pay the rent. New legislation ushered in a building programme of new malt distilleries across the Highlands and in Ireland. At the start of the 19th century Irish whiskey had the highest international reputation, with the heavily-peated Scottish malts considered an acquired taste. Then in 1827, Robert Stein invented a continuous still (see pages 86-87), which not only mace distilling less labour-intensive but produced lighter, grain-based whisky which could be mass produced. Adapted in 1831 by Aenea-Coffey, the continuous still changed whisky production forever.

Distillers in the Scottish Lowlands seized the new invention and by the 1850s grocer and wine merchants such as John Walker. George Ballantine, James Chivas, John Dewar and Matthew Gloag began blending malt with the light grain, and the public sa: up and took notice. The Irish resisted, for a time. Distillers including John Jameson and John Power, who were already enjoying international prestige with their pot-still whiskies, refused to use the continuous method, dismissing it as an adulteration o: 'real' whisky.

The North Americans had no such qualms and Coffey's patent still was soon adopted in America and Canada. This interest, along with James Crow's research into quality control in Kentucky, improved consistency. The Canadians were so enamoured of the Coffey still that, in 1875, they passed legislation decreeing that Canadian whisky could only be made from grain distilled in a continuous still, and aged for a minimum of three years in oak barrels. The quality-oriented, modern industry was taking shape. Even at this stage there was no indication that whisky would become the world's best-selling spirit. Brandy was still more popular, but the vine parasite phylloxera vastrix put paid to that when, from the 1870s onwards, it wiped out Europe's vineyards - and the brandy industry with them.

It is entirely possible that American whiskey would have become the world's dominant player, were it not for the growth of the Temperance Movement in the US which led to Prohibition in 1919. At that time, Irish whiskey was selling more in America than Scotch, but while Scotch and Canadian whisky managed to retain a quality image, Irish whiskies lost their biggest market overnight and were being (badly) copied by bootleggers. Their reputation plummeted. At the same time, Irish independence led to the ban of Irish products in Britain and the Empire. With no markets left, the Irish industry imploded and blended Scotch took over.

This was the situation until the late 1970s when, through industry complacency, or the inevitability of changing fashion, young drinkers turned away from brown spirits or the global whisky industry fell into deep depression. Blended Scotch has struggled hard to regain consumer confidence in its old markets, though it has enjoyed success in southern Europe and Asia. But in America, northern Europe and Britain, malts have kept the whisky dream alive. This recent fascination with premium whisky has also boosted the American whiskey industry and sparked a new optimism in Ireland and Canada. There are now more quality whiskies on offer than ever before, and a renewed interest in how they are made and the people who make them.

10.12.08

Jack Daniels an American Whiskey

The Jack Daniel's legend starts with the eponymous founder of the distillery, who allegedly owned his first distillery at the tender age of 13, having learned his skill at the knee of Dan Call - one of those moon shining preachers who pepper the history of American whiskey. Jack was a clever operator, but it's hard to imagine that he envisaged his brand would one day become the most famous American whiskey of all.

These days it's Jimmy Bradford who wearing Jack's shoes. The epitome of a Southern gentleman (unlike the short-tempered Jack, who died after kicking a safe in his office), he's been looking after the whiskey for 32 years, which, he drawls laconically: 'probably gives me some credibility to talk about distilling'.

They make whiskey slightly differently in Tennessee, though it's not - as many people think - sour-mashing that sets it apart. All Bourbon and Tennessee whiskey is made by the sour mash technique: the real difference lies in the Lincoln County Process, or charcoal mellowing, which all Tennessee whiskey must undergo.

For Jimmy, it's the combination of the limestone water drawn from Cave Spring and the mellowing that helps to give Jack Daniel's its personality. The mellowing involves dripping the new spirit though a 10-foot vat of maple charcoal, which leaches some fusel oils and esters from the spirit, while giving it a distinct softness.

There's only one mashbill - 80 per cent corn, 12 per cent rye and 8 per cent barley malt - for all the Jack Daniel's brands; meaning that the sole difference between such diverse products as Green Label, Black Label and Gentleman Jack lies in the length of time they have been aged and where they have been warehoused. With a spread of traditional warehouses, the blenders can mingle whiskeys from different sites and floors to make up the desired product, and with 7,500 barrels a week being put into the warehouses, they have plenty of choice.

That figure gives an idea of the sheer scale of the operation. Owner Brown-Forman may, rightly, play up the Sleepy Hollow-type imagery surrounding the small town of Lynchburg, but don't be fooled: this is a bang-up-to-date distillery applying old techniques in a highly efficient and modern manner. Jack may recognize the site, but he'd be astounded by the three huge beer stills and intrigued by the way in which the vapour is fed directly into the doubler, making it a refined type of single distillation.

But you don't think of Jack Daniel's in production terms. The visitors who pour into the distillery aren't that interested in mellowing, distillation techniques or the pros and cons of mechanization. They come because they feel part of a family. When an Australian winemaker I know went to America for the first time, the two places at the top of her 'must-see' list were Graceland and the Jack Daniel's distillery. It's that kind of loyalty that makes Jack an American icon.

These days, Jack Daniel's is as recognizable a symbol of American rock 'n' roll rebelliousness as Harley Davidson. It hasn't gone out and developed a bad-boy image, but clutching one of those square bottles with the black label brings out the rebel in even the most mild-mannered accountant, and makes him feel, if only for one drink, the equal of Keith Richards or Dennis Hopper.

You would think that being in charge of such an iconic product would prey on Jimmy's mind, but there's no chance of that. He approaches this onerous responsibility with the same pleasant, measured good humour as he does the rest of life. 'It's a pleasure to assist in making this product. Just to drive in every day and see Jack standing there down the holler gives me a sense of pride'.

TASTING NOTES

Jack Daniel's Black Label 80 proof Very sweet and clean, with a touch of liquorice, smoke and caramel. A good mouthful with a great, sweet finish. * * *

Gentleman Jack 80 proof
Even sweeter, with black fruit and a sooty, rich finish.

30.11.08

How Whiskey Is Made

Every country has a different approach to making whisky, which will be discussed in detail at the beginning of each chapter. However, all are basically variations on the following rules.

Whisky is made from a cereal; some (or all) of it malted, that has been ground into a rough flour then mashed by passing hot water through the flour to extract a sweet liquid. This is cooled, yeast is added and the mixture ferments, turning into a crude beer. This is then distilled in either a pot or a column still. Because alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water, the alcohol vapours are released first. These are condensed into a clear, strong spirit which is then aged in oak casks.

Malt whisky is made exclusively from malted barley and is distilled twice (or occasionally three times) in pot stills. It is then aged in used oak casks for a minimum of three years. Grain whisky is made from either corn or wheat, with some malted barley. It is distilled in a column still to produce a lighter spirit with a high degree of alcohol, and aged in used casks for a minimum of three years. Blended scotch is a combination of grain and malt whisky.

Irish whiskey can be made in a number of styles. Pure pot still, using malted and/or unmalted barley; a mix of pot and column still, and all column still. It, too, must be aged in used casks for three years. American whiskey (bourbon) must be made from a minimum 51 per cent corn, to which can be added wheat, malted barley and rye. It is distilled in either a single column still, a column still with a second still called a 'doublet', or in pot stills. Tennessee whiskey must also be filtered through a bed of charcoal. All American produced whiskey must be aged in new charred-oak casks.

Canadian whisky is a blend of whiskies most commonly made in column stills from wheat, corn, barley and rye (either singly or combined), and must be aged for a minimum of three years in used oak casks. Canadian distillers are allowed to add up to 9.09 per cent of other mature spirits (Cognac, rum, bourbon, malt, sherry) to the final blend.

21.11.08

Bushmills Irish Whiskey

Bushmills
Driving along the spectacular Antrim coast you can just tell that this is good whiskey-making country. Soft pasture land, small rivers, natural harbours and a people who know that good things take time. It's a land where legend and fact become easily blurred, where folk tales take on the mantle of truth. Who knows when whiskey was first made here?

Some historians claim it started in 1276, though if the story of monks taking distilling with them when they went to convert the heathen Picts is true, it could be as far back at the 6th century. Authorization was given for whiskey to be legally made in the county in 1608, allowing Bushmills to claim that it has been making the stuff since then - and laying the foundations for some mighty craic in 2008!

Bushmills is significantly different to the other two Irish distilleries and takes you back to a time when all of Ireland's whiskey only came from pot stills. There again, this being Ireland, it's also atypical of the traditional Irish pot-still style insofar as it doesn't use a mix of malted and unmalted barley. But it's not quite like a typical Scottish malt distillery as it uses triple distillation and unpeated malt - though so do Auchentoshan and Springbank's Hazelburn.

It's a complex process, as master distiller David Quinn explains. 'After distilling the low wines in the second [or feints] still we take the strong feints forward to a third distillation which gives us a distillate at around 84%ABV. The weak feints get recycled in the second distillation with the head and tails from the third. What we're doing is leaving behind the heavier aspects of the spirit and shifting the flavour balance to more fragrant, lighter, sweeter fruity character'.

The distillery is only a few miles from the Giant's Causeway, a weird outcrop of hexagonal basalt pillars that look like a monstrous pipe organ which, legend would have it, was the southern end of a bridge linking Ireland with Fingal's Cave on the Hebridean island of Staffa. In many ways Bushmills is a modern day bridge between two whisk(e)y-making cultures. 'There's a lot of the tradition of Irish pot still whiskey making here,' says David. 'But by being a single malt we're moving into the Scottish tradition. Maybe we can claim that we take the best of both traditions! On a good day we can see Islay, it's only 16 miles, so that link has always been there - maybe starting with monks like St. Columba'. In more recent times, ex-manager Frank McHardy nipped across the sea to Campbeltown's Springbank distillery - no surprise he's behind the triple distilled, unpeated Hazelburn!

Where Bushmills differs from any Scottish distillery is by being home to blends as well as single malts - most importantly the magnificent Black Bush, a blend of 5Oper cent Bushmills single malt and grain from Midleton. Bushmills follows the Irish Distillers' policy of using a high percentage of first-fill sherry and Bourbon wood, both of them wood types packed with powerful flavours. The fact that David's light distillate isn't drowned out by these big flavours is testimony to some high-class blending skills.

'Getting the correct balance is vital. You could argue that with a delicate spirit it's even more vital that you get that flavour in correct balance with the wood. It also means we have to have top-quality wood. You can spend all the time in the world making a good distillate and then lose it by using subญstandard cooperage.' This shows best in the Triple Wood, a single malt initially aged in ex-Bourbon and sherry wood for 16 years before the two elements are married together and then recasked into port pipes for up to a year. Innovative, modern, yet in touch with the past - just like David and his team.

TASTING NOTES

Black Bush
Sweet, toffee-like nose with plenty of sherry notes in evidence. The palate is silky and soft, balancing ripe malt, raisined sherry wood and rich fruitiness

Bushmills 10-year-old
Clean and crisp, with apple blossom, clover and bran. Lightly creamy on the palate, with some almond paste and gentle grassiness on the finish. Pleasant and soft.

Bushmills Triple Wood
Ripe and full on the nose. A taste of molasses, then some raisin mixed with powerful, plummy fruits. Well balanced

23.5.08

DAD'S WHISKEY SOURS

1 (12 oz.) can frozen lemonade (do Not
add water)
12 oz. whiskey
12 oz. club soda
Sliced oranges and lemons
Maraschino cherries

It's hard to believe this simple one-to-one-to-one recipe makes such a fine drink, but my Dad's something special. Mix frozen lemonade with whiskey, then add club soda. use the lemonade can to measure a can of whiskey and a can club soda just as you would if you were adding cans of water to make normal lemonade. Add the fruit and lots of ice.

DIANE'S IRISH CREME

1 can Eagle Brand (sweet) condensed
milk
1/2 pt. whip cream
10 oz. scotch or any good whiskey
1 1/2 tsp. instant coffee

Stir until blended.

22.5.08

LONG ISLAND ICE TEA

1 Big Gulp cup

2 oz. vodka
2 oz. gin
4 oz. triple sec
4 oz. whiskey sour
4 oz. Coke

Fill remainder of cup with ice until full. Squeeze of lime.

CHOCOLATE - CREAM LIQUEUR

2 c. light cream
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed
milk
2 tsp. instant coffee
1 beaten egg yolk
1 c. Irish whiskey
1/3 c. rum
2 tbsp. chocolate syrup
1 tbsp. vanilla

In a saucepan combine cream milk and coffee. Cook and stir over medium heat until coffee is dissolved. Gradually stir about half the milk mixture into beaten egg yolk; return to saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add whiskey, rum, chocolate syrup and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a container with a tight fitting lid. Chill at least 4 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

PRUNE MUI

8 (12 oz.) pkg. pitted prunes
1 lg. pkg. lemon peel, cut up
2 lg. pkg. Li Hing Mui
1 lb. brown sugar
3 tbsp. Hawaiian salt
3 tbsp. whiskey (optional)
2-3 Star Anise
1 1/2 c. lemon juice

Cut up lemon peel. Mix all ingredients and soak for 3 days, stirring once a day. No need to refrigerate.

WHISKEY POUND CAKE

1 Duncan Hines Yellow cake mix
1 Royal instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 c. Mazola oil
3/4 c. water

Mix 2 to 3 minutes. Use tube pan well greased. Bake at 325 degrees for about 55 minutes. --GLAZE ICING:--

1/2 c. whiskey
1/4 c. butter
2/3 c. sugar

Bring to boil and remove cake from pan. Pour hot glaze over hot cake. Extra liquid will be absorbed by cake.

WHISKEY CAKE

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
5 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. whiskey
3/4 c. oil

Mix together and add 1 cup each of chocolate bits, butterscotch bits and nuts. Bake approximately 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Use tube pan.

IRISH COFFEE

24 oz. hot coffee
4 tsp. sugar
1 c. heavy cream, whipped
4 jiggers Irish whiskey
4 jiggers Kahlua
Cocoa

Fill mug 3/4 full with coffee. Add 1 teaspoon sugar for each mug. Pour 1 jigger whiskey and 1 jigger Kahlua into the coffee. Top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with cocoa. Serves 4. Home Medical Equipment

THE BOLO PUNCH

2 ripe pineapples, diced
8 tsp. sugar
1 qt. whiskey (bourbon)
2 qt. champagne

NIGHT BEFORE: Dice 2 ripe pineapples over which spread sugar. Add bourbon, cover well and refrigerate. NEXT MORNING: Pour into punch bowl over 2 large lumps of ice. Stir well. Pour in 2 bottles champagne and stir again. Serve in goblets with bits of pineapple and long-handled fork or spoon. Eat the fruit and drink the juice. Great before brunch. Serves 12-14.

WHISKEY SOUR PUNCH

1 (6 oz.) can frozen orange juice
1 (6 oz.) can lemonade
1 tbsp. Angostura Bitters
2 tbsp. sugar
2 (32 oz.) bottles club soda
1-2 pkg. whiskey sour mix
Maraschino cherries
Orange slices
Ice ring
1-2 c. whiskey

Mix together orange juice, lemonade, bitters, sugar, soda and whiskey sour mix. Pour in punch bowl. Add ice ring. Add orange slices, cherries and whiskey to taste. Double or triple for large group. Excellent for showers and parties. This can be made the day before and stored in gallon bottles in refrigerator. Garnish with orange slices and cherries when used.

FROZEN WHISKEY SOURS

2 tea bags
1 c. boiling water
1 c. sugar
3 1/2 c. water
1 (6 oz.) can thawed orange juice
1/2 c. whiskey
1/2 of a 6 oz. can lemonade, thawed

Brew tea bags in boiling water 3-4 minutes. Take out tea bags. Stir in sugar. Add remaining ingredients, stir until completely dissolved, then freeze.

HOMEMADE IRISH CREAM LIQUEUR

1 3/4 c. liquor (Irish whiskey,
brandy, rum, Scotch, or rye whiskey)
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed
milk (not evaporated milk)
1 c. (1/2 pt.) whipping or coffee
cream
4 eggs
2 tbsp. chocolate flavored syrup
2 tsp. instant coffee
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract

In blender container, combine liquor, condensed milk, cream, eggs, chocolate syrup, coffee, vanilla and almond extract; blend until smooth. Serve over ice, if desired. Store tightly covered in refrigerator up to 1 month. Stir before using.

21.5.08

IRISH CREAM

1 1/2 c. whipping cream
2 tsp. Hershey's chocolate syrup
3 eggs
1 c. whiskey, to taste
1 can Borden's sweetened condensed
milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. coconut extract

Blend well in blender. Refrigerate. Let age 2 or more days.

FAYE'S BOURBON BALLS

1 c. vanilla wafers, finely chopped
1 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 c. nuts, finely chopped (pecans
& walnuts)
2 tsp. cocoa
2 tsp. light corn syrup
1/4 c. Bourbon, dark rum or whiskey
1/4 c. powdered sugar

Combine crushed wafers, 1 cup powdered sugar, chopped nuts and cocoa. Add bourbon and corn syrup; mix well. With dampened hands, shape into 1 inch balls. Roll in powdered sugar. Pack loosely in tin, separating layers with wax paper. Cover tightly. Makes about 4 dozen. May also be stored in freezer.

PECAN BALL COOKIES

1 1/4 c. unsifted flour
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
2 tbsp. whiskey, gin or vodka
3/4 c. ground pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar, flour and salt in a bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender. Add liquor and nuts; mix thoroughly. Shape into balls about 1 inch in diameter and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen. Note: If pecans are dry and mixture is too dry to form into balls. Add a drop or two more of liquor.

TIPSY BALLS

1 (15 oz.) pkg. vanilla wafers
1 c. powdered sugar
2 c. chopped nuts
2 tsp. white Karo
4 jiggers whiskey

Roll vanilla wafers until finely powdered. Mix all ingredients except Karo and whiskey. Mix whiskey and Karo together until well blended. Add to other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Shape into balls and roll in powdered sugar.

BRANDY CITRUS SLUSH

7 c. water
2 c. sugar (boil 3-4 minutes, let
cool)
2 c. boiled water with 4 green or
regular tea bags, cooled
1 (12 oz.) can frozen orange juice
concentrate
1 (12 oz.) can frozen lemonade
concentrate
1-2 c. brandy (may use amaretto,
vodka, whiskey, Southern Comfort)

CREOLE EGG NOG

12 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. bourbon whiskey
1 qt. whipping cream
2 tsp. grated nutmeg

Whip cream until stiff, adding 1/2 sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Break eggs and separate. Beat egg yolks, slowly add 1 cup sugar. Beat until sugar is dissolved and the mixture smooth. Whip egg whites to frothy peaks by adding 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix yolks with bourbon and whipped cream. Fold in egg whites, sprinkle with nutmeg and serve.

COFFEE VARIATIONS

Preparation time: 5 minutes. Yields: 1 glass each. --BRANDIED CAPPUCCINO:--

1 1/2 tbsp. brandy
1/2 c. strong hot coffee
1/2 c. hot milk
1 tbsp. sweetened whipped cream

1. Pour brandy into tall mug. Fill with coffee and milk. Top with cream. --CAFFE BORGIA:--

Twist orange rind
1/4 c. hot chocolate
1/4 c. strong hot coffee
Whipped cream
Chocolate curls

1. In mug place rind, hot chocolate and coffee. Top with cream and chocolate curls. --IRISH COFFEE:--

1 sugar cube
2 tbsp. Irish whiskey
1/2 c. strong hot coffee
1 heaping tbsp. whipped cream

1. Into warmed mug, place sugar cube, whiskey and coffee. Top with cream. --CAFE LIEGEOIS:--

1 scoop vanilla or coffee ice cream
1/2 c. strong hot coffee
Honey-sweetened whipped cream
Grated milk chocolate

1. In tall mug, place coffee and ice cream. Top with cream and grated chocolate.

BOURBON SLUSH

1 (16 oz.) can frozen lemonade
1 (16 oz.) can orange juice
2 c. strong tea
6 1/2 c. water
2 c. bourbon
1 c. sugar
1 c. whiskey

Mix all ingredients in a 6-quart container and freeze. Make this 24 hours in advance before using. Scoop out and serve with 7-UP or alone. Use both spoon and straw.

LYNCHBERG LEMONAIDE

1 shot bourbon
1 shot Triple Sec
1 shot bottled whiskey sour mixer
7-UP
2 cherries

Mix in tall glass: bourbon, Triple Sec, whiskey sour mixer, 2 cherries. Fill glass with 7-UP. Good summertime drink.

APRICOT SLUSH

2 c. sugar
4 c. boiling water
6 tea bags
12 oz. frozen orange juice
12 oz. frozen lemonade
1 c. whiskey
1 c. apricot brandy
7 c. water

Dissolve sugar in 4 cups boiling water. Steep the tea bags in the water and sugar mixture until it becomes lukewarm. Combine the remaining ingredients with tea mixture.

20.5.08

SUMMER CRANBERRY SLUSH

64 oz. cranberry juice
2 (28 oz.) ginger ale
2 (12 oz.) cans concentrated frozen
lemonade
3 c. whiskey

Mix all together and freeze. Make ahead 2 days.

COOL ALCOHOL SUMMER DRINK

3 tsp. instant tea
1 (12 oz.) can frozen Awake
1 (12 oz.) can frozen lemonade
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. water
2 c. whiskey

Mix all together well in large bowl. Freeze in quart containers. When needed scoop out slush into glass, then fill up glass with 7-Up. Very tasty.

OPEN HOUSE PUNCH

2 1/2 c. whiskey
2 1/4 qt. 7-Up
1 can orange juice, frozen (6 oz.)
1 can pineapple juice, frozen (6 oz.)
2 cans frozen lemonade (6 oz. each)

Chill ingredients. Mix in punch bowl, adding 7-Up last. Add drops of red food coloring as desired (optional). Stir. Add ice, orange and lemon slices. Serves 25.

WHISKEY SOUR PUNCH

3 (12 oz.) cans frozen lemonade
concentrate, thawed & not mixed
5 c. orange juice
2 fifths whiskey
2 qts. soda
4 trays ice cubes

Makes 44 (4 oz.) servings.

WASSAIL

2 (32 oz.) jars low-calorie cranberry
juice cocktail
2 c. water
1 (6 oz.) can frozen pineapple-orange
or orange juice concentrate, thawed
12 inches stick cinnamon
3 whole cloves
1/2 c. whiskey or bourbon (optional)
Orange slices
Stick cinnamon

In large kettle, combine first 5 ingredients. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon and cloves. Stir in whiskey, if desired. Serve warm with orange slices and cinnamon stick. Makes 20 servings.

IRISH MIST

1 3/4 c. liquor (Irish Whiskey,
brandy, rum, bourbon, Scotch or rye)
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand sweetened
condensed milk
1 c. light cream
4 eggs, only clean, uncracked eggs
2 tbsp. chocolate flavored syrup
2 tsp. instant coffee
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract

Combine all ingredients in blender, blend until smooth. Serve over ice if desired. Store tightly covered in refrigerator up to one month. Stir or shake before serving.

CHERRY WHISKEY

1 bottle 74 port
2 bottles sloe gin or cherry whiskey
syrup
2 bottles club soda
1 qt. alcohol

In large glass container, pour in syrup, add club soda and port. Let sit 1/2 hour, then add alcohol.

19.5.08

WHISKEY PUNCH

2 (750 ml.) whiskey
Juice of 6 lemons (6 oz.)
1 (18 oz.) can pineapple juice
Juice of 8 oranges
2 bottles ginger ale
Sugar to taste

Combine whiskey, lemon juice, pineapple juice and orange juice over block of ice in punch bowl. Add 2 bottles ginger ale, sugar to taste. Decorate with orange, lemon and pineapple slices or other fruits.

FROZEN (WHISKEY) SOUR SLUSH

2 (6 oz.) cans frozen orange juice
2 (6 oz.) cans frozen lemonade
4 tea bags
1 1/2 c. sugar
9 c. boiling water
Fifth of whiskey (optional)

Mix 2 cups boiling water and 4 tea bags. Mix 7 cups boiling water and sugar. Add juices to the tea mixture. Add sugar water to the tea mixture. Add whiskey, if desired. Freeze, stirring occasionally until slushy. With whiskey, just freeze 24 hours.

IRISH COFFEE

2-3 c. strong coffee
4 tsp. sugar
6 oz. Irish whiskey
Sweet whip cream

Pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup coffee in 4 cups for each drink, 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir. Add 1 1/2 ounces Irish whiskey in each cup. Stir. Top with whip cream.

WHISKEY SOUR FREEZE

1 (12 oz.) can frozen orange juice
1 (6 oz.) can frozen lemonade
1 (12 oz.) can water
1 (12 oz.) can blended whiskey or
bourbon
Gingerale or seven-up

Blend orange juice, lemonade, water and whiskey in electric blender. Pour into a container and freeze. To serve, spoon some of the frozen mixture into an old-fashioned glass. Add a generous splash of gingerale. Let sit a minute until gingerale seeps through the frozen mixture. Makes enough for several drinks.

IRISH CREAM LIQUEUR

1 3/4 c. favorite liquor (whiskey,
brandy, rum, bourbon, scotch or rye whiskey)
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed
milk (not evaporated)
1 c. (1/2 pt.) whipping or light cream
4 eggs
2 tbsp. chocolate syrup
2 tsp. instant coffee
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract

In blender container, combine all ingredients; blend until smooth. Serve over ice if desired. Store tightly covered in refrigerator up to one month. Stir before serving.

WHISKEY SLUSH

12 oz. frozen O.J.
12 oz. frozen lemonade
6 c. H20
2 c. strong tea (4 tea bags)
2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. whiskey

Mix and store in freezer. Spoon into glass and pour 7 UP over it.

KAHLUA IRISH COFFEE

1 oz. Kahlua
1 oz. Irish whiskey
Hot coffee
Whipped cream

Add Kahlua and Irish whiskey to coffee and top with whipped cream.

BAILEYS (TASTES LIKE BAILEYS IRISH CREME)

4 eggs
1 c. whiskey
2 tbsp. instant coffee
2 tbsp. chocolate syrup
2 tbsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. sugar
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed
milk
1 c. whipping cream

Beat eggs in mixer bowl. Add whiskey, coffee, chocolate syrup, vanilla, sugar, and condensed milk, mix well. Add whipping cream, mix well. Pour into pitcher. Keep refrigerated.

BAILEYS IRISH CREAM

1 can Eagle brand condensed milk
4 eggs
2 tbsp. Hershey chocolate syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. coconut extract
1 c. whiskey

Mix together in blender. Serve over ice.

FROZEN WHISKEY PUNCH

1 c. water
1/2 c. sugar

Heat until sugar dissolves. Add: 1 sm. can frozen orange juice

Dissolve. Remove from heat and add: 1 lg. can pineapple juice
2 liter 7-Up
1 sm. bottle cherries and juice (or
more, if you wish)
1/2 to one fifth of whiskey (to taste)

Put in freezer and stir at intervals while freezing (about 3 times). Should not freeze too hard, but depends on amount of whiskey used. Should be mushy when served, so may need some thawing. Most everybody loves it!

FROZEN WHISKEY PUNCH

1 c. water
1/2 c. sugar

Heat until sugar dissolves. Add: 1 sm. can frozen orange juice

Dissolve. Remove from heat and add: 1 lg. can pineapple juice
2 liter 7-Up
1 sm. bottle cherries and juice (or
more, if you wish)
1/2 to one fifth of whiskey (to taste)

Put in freezer and stir at intervals while freezing (about 3 times). Should not freeze too hard, but depends on amount of whiskey used. Should be mushy when served, so may need some thawing. Most everybody loves it!

17.5.08

RAMOS' ORIGINAL GIN FIZZ

1 heaping tbsp. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
2, 3, or 4 drops orange flower water
White of 1 egg
1 whiskey glass of sweet gin
2 whiskey glasses of cream
2 whiskey glasses of seltzer water
1/2 glass crushed ice

Shake well and strain. Drink freely.

HOMEMADE IRISH CREAM

4 eggs
1-1 1/2 c. whiskey or brandy
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp. chocolate syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

Mix all above ingredients in a blender for 2 minutes on medium speed. Store in the refrigerator.

LONG ISLAND ICE TEA

1 Big Gulp cup

2 oz. vodka
2 oz. gin
4 oz. triple sec
4 oz. whiskey sour
4 oz. Coke

Fill remainder of cup with ice until full. Squeeze of lime.

CHOCOLATE - CREAM LIQUEUR

2 c. light cream
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed
milk
2 tsp. instant coffee
1 beaten egg yolk
1 c. Irish whiskey
1/3 c. rum
2 tbsp. chocolate syrup
1 tbsp. vanilla

In a saucepan combine cream milk and coffee. Cook and stir over medium heat until coffee is dissolved. Gradually stir about half the milk mixture into beaten egg yolk; return to saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add whiskey, rum, chocolate syrup and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a container with a tight fitting lid. Chill at least 4 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

PRUNE MUI

8 (12 oz.) pkg. pitted prunes
1 lg. pkg. lemon peel, cut up
2 lg. pkg. Li Hing Mui
1 lb. brown sugar
3 tbsp. Hawaiian salt
3 tbsp. whiskey (optional)
2-3 Star Anise
1 1/2 c. lemon juice

Cut up lemon peel. Mix all ingredients and soak for 3 days, stirring once a day. No need to refrigerate.

WHISKEY POUND CAKE

1 Duncan Hines Yellow cake mix
1 Royal instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 c. Mazola oil
3/4 c. water

Mix 2 to 3 minutes. Use tube pan well greased. Bake at 325 degrees for about 55 minutes. --GLAZE ICING:--

1/2 c. whiskey
1/4 c. butter
2/3 c. sugar

Bring to boil and remove cake from pan. Pour hot glaze over hot cake. Extra liquid will be absorbed by cake.

WHISKEY CAKE

1 box white cake mix
1 sm. pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
2 tbsp. whiskey
4 eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 c. oil
1 c. chopped walnuts
2 tsp. flour

Combine first 6 ingredients and beat well. Toss flour with nuts to coat, fold into first mixture. Pour batter into greased and floured 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. --GLAZE:--

1/4 lb. butter
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. whiskey

Melt together in a saucepan and pour over cake.

CREOLE EGG NOG

12 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. bourbon whiskey
1 qt. whipping cream
2 tsp. grated nutmeg

Whip cream until stiff, adding 1/2 sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Break eggs and separate. Beat egg yolks, slowly add 1 cup sugar. Beat until sugar is dissolved and the mixture smooth. Whip egg whites to frothy peaks by adding 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix yolks with bourbon and whipped cream. Fold in egg whites, sprinkle with nutmeg and serve.

16.5.08

COFFEE VARIATIONS

Preparation time: 5 minutes. Yields: 1 glass each.

--BRANDIED CAPPUCCINO:--

1 1/2 tbsp. brandy
1/2 c. strong hot coffee
1/2 c. hot milk
1 tbsp. sweetened whipped cream

1. Pour brandy into tall mug. Fill with coffee and milk. Top with cream.

--CAFFE BORGIA:--

Twist orange rind
1/4 c. hot chocolate
1/4 c. strong hot coffee
Whipped cream
Chocolate curls

1. In mug place rind, hot chocolate and coffee. Top with cream and chocolate curls.

--IRISH COFFEE:--

1 sugar cube
2 tbsp. Irish whiskey
1/2 c. strong hot coffee
1 heaping tbsp. whipped cream

1. Into warmed mug, place sugar cube, whiskey and coffee. Top with cream.

--CAFE LIEGEOIS:--

1 scoop vanilla or coffee ice cream
1/2 c. strong hot coffee
Honey-sweetened whipped cream
Grated milk chocolate

1. In tall mug, place coffee and ice cream. Top with cream and grated chocolate.

BOURBON SLUSH

1 (16 oz.) can frozen lemonade
1 (16 oz.) can orange juice
2 c. strong tea
6 1/2 c. water
2 c. bourbon
1 c. sugar
1 c. whiskey

Mix all ingredients in a 6-quart container and freeze. Make this 24 hours in advance before using. Scoop out and serve with 7-UP or alone. Use both spoon and straw.

LYNCHBERG LEMONAIDE

1 shot bourbon
1 shot Triple Sec
1 shot bottled whiskey sour mixer
7-UP
2 cherries

Mix in tall glass: bourbon, Triple Sec, whiskey sour mixer, 2 cherries. Fill glass with 7-UP. Good summertime drink.

APRICOT SLUSH

2 c. sugar
4 c. boiling water
6 tea bags
12 oz. frozen orange juice
12 oz. frozen lemonade
1 c. whiskey
1 c. apricot brandy
7 c. water

Dissolve sugar in 4 cups boiling water. Steep the tea bags in the water and sugar mixture until it becomes lukewarm. Combine the remaining ingredients with tea mixture. Freeze.

SUMMER CRANBERRY SLUSH

64 oz. cranberry juice
2 (28 oz.) ginger ale
2 (12 oz.) cans concentrated frozen
lemonade
3 c. whiskey

Mix all together and freeze. Make ahead 2 days.

COOL ALCOHOL SUMMER DRINK

3 tsp. instant tea
1 (12 oz.) can frozen Awake
1 (12 oz.) can frozen lemonade
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. water
2 c. whiskey

Mix all together well in large bowl. Freeze in quart containers. When needed scoop out slush into glass, then fill up glass with 7-Up. Very tasty.

OPEN HOUSE PUNCH

2 1/2 c. whiskey
2 1/4 qt. 7-Up
1 can orange juice, frozen (6 oz.)
1 can pineapple juice, frozen (6 oz.)
2 cans frozen lemonade (6 oz. each)

Chill ingredients. Mix in punch bowl, adding 7-Up last. Add drops of red food coloring as desired (optional). Stir. Add ice, orange and lemon slices. Serves 25.

RUBY RED PUNCH

2 c. cream sherry
2 c. whiskey
1 c. grenadine
1 c. lemon juice
Lots of ice

Combine in punch bowl.

WHISKEY SOUR PUNCH

3 (12 oz.) cans frozen lemonade
concentrate, thawed & not mixed
5 c. orange juice
2 fifths whiskey
2 qts. soda
4 trays ice cubes

Makes 44 (4 oz.) servings.

15.5.08

WASSAIL

2 (32 oz.) jars low-calorie cranberry
juice cocktail
2 c. water
1 (6 oz.) can frozen pineapple-orange
or orange juice concentrate, thawed
12 inches stick cinnamon
3 whole cloves
1/2 c. whiskey or bourbon (optional)
Orange slices
Stick cinnamon

In large kettle, combine first 5 ingredients. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon and cloves. Stir in whiskey, if desired. Serve warm with orange slices and cinnamon stick. Makes 20 servings.

JEAN'S WHISKEY FERTILIZER

1 c. Karo syrup
1 c. whiskey
1 c. Johnson's baby shampoo
12 pkgs. Knox gelatin
12 tea bags
1 tsp. ammonia
1 c. Rapid Grow fertilizer

Dissolve gelatin in whiskey, mix all ingredients together. Put in a 5 quart container and add water to fill the container. The tea bags will break apart and dissolve. It does not need to be stored in the refrigerator. Add a tablespoon to a gallon of water and mix. Water plants every other time with this solution.

15 FIVE OUNCE DRINKS

Juice of six lemons
1 fifth of whiskey
2 oz. Curacao
1 oz. brandy
1 qt. of prechilled 7 Up

Serve in punch bowl with chunk of ice. Decorate with lemon slices and fruit.

IRISH CREAM (LIKE BAILEYS)

1 c. Irish whiskey (may substitute)
10 oz. whipping cream
3 eggs
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. coconut extract
1 1/2 tbsp. Nestles quick
1 can Eagle Brand

Put in blender on High for only 1 minute. Refrigerate. Shake before using.

KATHY'S BAILEY'S

3 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 c. Irish whiskey
1 tsp. honey
2 tsp. instant coffee
1 1/2 tbsp. Hershey's chocolate syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. heavy cream

Beat eggs thoroughly; add everything but heavy cream. Beat for one minute at high speed. Add the cream and beat for one more minute. Store for one day in refrigerator, then stir or shake well before drinking. Makes a nice holiday gift. Have to keep it refrigerated. For up to one month.

KAHLUA IRISH COFFEE

1 oz. Kahlua
1 oz. Irish whiskey
Hot coffee
Whipped cream

Add Kahlua and Irish whiskey to coffee and top with whipped cream.

BAILEYS (TASTES LIKE BAILEYS IRISH CREME)

4 eggs
1 c. whiskey
2 tbsp. instant coffee
2 tbsp. chocolate syrup
2 tbsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. sugar
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed
milk
1 c. whipping cream

Beat eggs in mixer bowl. Add whiskey, coffee, chocolate syrup, vanilla, sugar, and condensed milk, mix well. Add whipping cream, mix well. Pour into pitcher. Keep refrigerated.

BAILEYS IRISH CREAM

1 can Eagle brand condensed milk
4 eggs
2 tbsp. Hershey chocolate syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. coconut extract
1 c. whiskey

Mix together in blender. Serve over ice.

FROZEN WHISKEY PUNCH

1 c. water
1/2 c. sugar

Heat until sugar dissolves. Add: 1 sm. can frozen orange juice

Dissolve. Remove from heat and add: 1 lg. can pineapple juice
2 liter 7-Up
1 sm. bottle cherries and juice (or
more, if you wish)
1/2 to one fifth of whiskey (to taste)

Put in freezer and stir at intervals while freezing (about 3 times). Should not freeze too hard, but depends on amount of whiskey used. Should be mushy when served, so may need some thawing. Most everybody loves it!

7.5.08

WHISKEY PUNCH

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

2 (750 ml.) whiskey
Juice of 6 lemons (6 oz.)
1 (18 oz.) can pineapple juice
Juice of 8 oranges
2 bottles ginger ale
Sugar to taste


RECIPE METHOD

Combine whiskey, lemon juice, pineapple juice and orange juice over block of ice in punch bowl. Add 2 bottles ginger ale, sugar to taste. Decorate with orange, lemon and pineapple slices or other fruits.

FROZEN (WHISKEY) SOUR SLUSH

RECIPE METHOD

2 (6 oz.) cans frozen orange juice
2 (6 oz.) cans frozen lemonade
4 tea bags
1 1/2 c. sugar
9 c. boiling water
Fifth of whiskey (optional)


RECIPE INGREDIENTS

Mix 2 cups boiling water and 4 tea bags. Mix 7 cups boiling water and sugar. Add juices to the tea mixture. Add sugar water to the tea mixture. Add whiskey, if desired. Freeze, stirring occasionally until slushy. With whiskey, just freeze 24 hours.

WHISKEY SOUR FREEZE

RECIPE INGREDIENTS


1 (12 oz.) can frozen orange juice
1 (6 oz.) can frozen lemonade
1 (12 oz.) can water
1 (12 oz.) can blended whiskey or
bourbon
Gingerale or seven-up



RECIPE METHOD

Blend orange juice, lemonade, water and whiskey in electric blender. Pour into a container and freeze. To serve, spoon some of the frozen mixture into an old-fashioned glass. Add a generous splash of gingerale. Let sit a minute until gingerale seeps through the frozen mixture. Makes enough for several drinks.

IRISH CREAM LIQUEUR

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 c. favorite liquor (whiskey,
brandy, rum, bourbon, scotch or rye whiskey)
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed
milk (not evaporated)
1 c. (1/2 pt.) whipping or light cream
4 eggs
2 tbsp. chocolate syrup
2 tsp. instant coffee
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract



RECIPE METHOD

In blender container, combine all ingredients; blend until smooth. Serve over ice if desired. Store tightly covered in refrigerator up to one month. Stir before serving.

IRISH EYES

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

1 shot Irish whiskey
1 shot creme de menthe - green
1 shot heavy cream


RECIPE METHOD

Combine with ice in shaker. Shake and strain and serve straight up. Top with cherry.

WHISKEY SLUSH

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

12 oz. frozen O.J.
12 oz. frozen lemonade
6 c. H20
2 c. strong tea (4 tea bags)
2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. whiskey


RECIPE METHOD

Mix and store in freezer. Spoon into glass and pour 7 UP over it.