12 Mar George Dickel Raises The Bar as a Bar Gets Raised!
“You think you know Dickel?” Why? Because they’re raising the bar in more ways than one and they came to San Francisco to show us.
At a recent event in San Francisco, Master Distiller John Lunn came to introduce one way they are raising the bar, by introducing George Dickel Rye Whisky. The new rye-based spirit is based on a 95% rye and 5% malted barley mash, which is chilled and then charcoal-filtered prior to aging for 5-6 years in new oak barrels.
The Rye Whisky was showcased alongside the classic whiskys, which are based on a formula using 84% corn, 8% rye and 8% malted rye. The primary difference in the whiskys is the amount of aging: No. 8 is aged 6-7 years, No. 12 is aged 7-9 years and the Barrel Select is made from a combination of the two and aged for 10-12 years.
To showcase the George Dickel line-up, some of San Francisco’s best bartenders created cocktails with Dickel No. 8, Dickel No. 12 and the new Dickel Rye.
Under the Sun (Tommy Quimby, Clock Bar)
1.3 oz. George Dickel No. 8
1 oz. Oolong Tea Honey Syrup
0.5 oz. Lemon Juice
2 teaspoons lemon curd
1 dash orange bitters
0.75 oz egg white
Shake all ingredients over ice and garnish with a charred lemon slice.
Italian Monk (Enrique Sanchez, Rose Pistola)
1 oz. George Dickel No. 8
0.5 oz. Nardini Amaro
0.25 oz. Benedectine
4 dashes of lime tincture
Stir all ingredients with ice, strain and garnish with an orange peel.
22nd Century (Carlo Splendorini, Michael Mina)
1 oz. George Dickel No. 12
0.5 oz. Luxardo Sangue Morlacco
0.5 oz. Lemon Juice
0.25 oz. Creme de Cacao
Stir all ingredients with ice, strain and garnish with a palm-slapped mint leaf.
Tennessee Tuxedo (Claire Hunter, Rye)
1 oz. George Dickel No. 12
0.25 oz. Averna Amaro
0.25 oz. Pear Liqueur
1 teaspoon smoked maple syrup
2 dashes peach bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice, strain and garnish with a lemon twist.
Cascade Hollow Punch (Kevin Deidrich, Jasper’s Corner Tap)
1.3 oz. George Dickel Rye
0.5 oz. Lemon Juice
0.25 oz. ginger syrup
1 teaspoon simple syrup
0.75 oz. sparking water
raspberries
mint leaves
Muddle the raspberries and mint, add the rest of the ingredients, shake with ice and double-strain into a glass. Garnish with raspberries or citrus wheel and mint leaves.
Dickel Milk Julep (Reza Esmaili, Ananas)
1.25 oz. George Dickel Rye
0.25 oz. Creme de Menthe
1.25 oz. homemade milk mixture
2 dashes celery bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice, strain over crushed ice into a highball and garnish with a mint sprig.
Carmen Amaya (Duggan McDonnell, Cantina)
1.25 oz. George Dickel Rye
0.5 oz. Lustua Amontillado Sherry
1 oz. lemon juice
0.5 oz. simple syrup
2 dashes orange bitters
Shake all ingredients together with ice, double-strain and garnish with basil leaves.
Another way George Dickel is raising the bar is quite literally. While the great cocktails were being enjoyed, handyman/artist extraordinaire Jimmy DiResta was literally “raising the bar” by building a bar from scratch during the event.
