Today is World Cocktail Day, an annual celebration in which we honour the day the first definition of 'cocktail' was published by the short-lived New York newspaper, The Balance and Columbian Repository - now 216 years ago. Truly one for the history books.
Thankfully, this year's World Cocktail Day falls on a Friday, meaning there's no excuse not to celebrate with a tipple or two. While there are a vast variety of tinctures to tickle your fancy, if you have yet to channel your inner Don Draper with a whiskey in hand, now could be the time.
While Mad Men's magnates will knock it back neat or on the rocks, there are plenty of whiskey-based cocktails that dress up the spirit and compliment its unique nuances, from the classic Old Fashioned to the Whiskey Sour to Sex and the City staple, the Manhattan.
If you're new to the world of whiskey and perhaps want to wade in the waters first with a fun, modern take on the classic, Sheep Dog could be a good bet. The new breed of peanut butter-flavoured whiskey is now available in Aotearoa after making a splash across the ditch and among our American counterparts.
Hailed as a deliciously smooth and unique take on the classic, the whiskey features playful, unexpected and delicious notes, bursting with natural, rich peanut butter flavours, notes of vanilla and caramel popcorn and warm whiskey undertones.
In celebration of World Cocktail Day, Sheep Dog has supplied some recipes for whiskey-based cocktails that you can whisk up with a few pantry staples and bar cart essentials. If you don't have Sheep Dog to hand, Ole Smoky Distillery, Skrewball and SQRRL also offer their own variations of peanut butter whiskey that could be used as alternatives.
Let's whisk these up.
Espresso Peanut Butter Martini
Ingredients
- 30ml Sheep Dog
- 60ml Espresso Martini mix or 30ml black coffee and 30ml coffee liqueur
- Ice.
Method
Add the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake it up. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with coffee beans.
Peanut Butter Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- 45ml Sheep Dog
- 25ml rye whiskey
- 4 dashes of Angostura Bitters
- Luxardo maraschino cherries
- 1 orange peel.
Method
Combine the ingredients in an Old Fashioned glass. Stir and strain over ice before garnishing with maraschino cherries and orange peel.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sour
Ingredients
- 30ml Sheep Dog
- 15ml Creme de Mure
- 45ml lemon juice
- 20ml sugar syrup
- 15ml egg white
- 3 dashes Rhubarb Bitters (can omit).
Method
Dry-shake all the ingredients, then wet-shake and fine strain. Garnish with freeze-dried raspberries and peanut powder.
The Dogfather
Ingredients
- 45ml Sheep Dog
- 15ml amaretto
- 20ml sugar syrup
- 45ml lemon juice
- 15ml egg white
- Angostura Bitters.
Method
Dry-shake all the ingredients with two dashes of Angostura Bitters. Wet-shake and fine strain and top with ice, before garnishing with a skewered maraschino cherry.
Peanut Butter Cup Cocktail
Ingredients
- 15ml chocolate liqueur
- 45ml Sheep Dog
- 20ml milk
- Peanuts to garnish.
Method
Shake up the whiskey, liqueur and milk and pour into an ice-filled glass. Garnish with peanuts.
