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It’s Mint Julep Day!

Many people only think of Mint Juleps on Kentucky Derby Saturday.

But, this refreshing bourbon drink is ideal for all summer long. That may just be the reason National Mint Julep Day is on May 30.

I asked Alex Castle, the Master Distiller at Old Dominick Distillery, to share her top tips for making the perfect Mint Julep.

Tip #1

For any cocktail, you always want to make sure you start with a great spirit. This is especially true when making a drink that is spirit forward. Mint Juleps are all about the bourbon, so make sure to use a good quality bourbon…and by that, Alex says she means to use your favorite.

Tip #2

Make sure you use quality ingredients. The mint should be as fresh as possible.

Tip #3

Speaking of the mint, you don’t want to pulverize it or crush it. You just want to lightly bruise the mint by slapping it between your hands, so you release the minty oils.

Tip #4

Ice plays a crucial role in any cocktail, and for Mint Juleps is all about the crushed ice. Crushed ice provides the right amount of chill and dilution that results in a light, refreshing drink. You can either buy crushed ice or try to crush it at home yourself.

Tip #5

Alex says she prefers drinking Mint Juleps in a metallic cup. It really does help keep the drink cool the entire time you’re enjoying it. If you don’t have a true julep cup, a copper or stainless steel Moscow mule mug works just fine.

This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Cheers!

For more information about Old Dominick Distillery in Memphis, TN, visit www.olddominick.com.

https://www.wknofm.org/features/2023-05-30/its-mint-julep-day

Memphis’s First Modern Whiskey Is Crafted by Tennessee’s First Female Master Distiller

A storied past blends with a compelling present in bottles of the reborn Old Dominick

By STEVE RUSSELLGarden & Gun
February 9, 2023

PHOTO: BRIAN CUMMINGS

Every start-up whiskey maker strives to back their brand with a memorable story that helps it rise above the craft-spirits deluge of recent years. For Old Dominick Distillery in Memphis, the challenge is picking which storyline to lead with.

Right off the bat, there’s the rebirth of a historic whiskey label, first introduced on ceramic jugs in 1866 by Italian immigrant Domenico Canale as part of a fledgling grocery distribution business that would feed Mid-Southerners for generations. In 2013, the discovery of a dusty, unopened bottle inspired Domenico’s great great grandsons, Chris and Alex Canale, to build a distillery and resurrect Old Dominick.

Then there’s the fact that when Old Dominick Straight Tennessee Whiskey was released last November, it became the first whiskey distilled, aged, and bottled in Memphis since Prohibition. (Well, legally at least.) That’s just the sort of knowledge you want to pass along while pouring a taste for a fellow whiskey nerd.

But perhaps the most compelling angle concerns the person who crafted that milestone whiskey, Alex Castle, the first known female master distiller in Tennessee history, as her journey seems both remarkable and somehow inevitable.

Growing up in Kentucky, Castle was set on becoming a marine biologist until a high school science class thoroughly squashed that desire. “But I excelled at chemistry and math,” Castle recalls. “One of the things my mom told me I could do with that was be a brewmaster, and I fell in love with the idea.”

Studies in chemical engineering at the University of Kentucky led to an internship with an animal-nutrition company that had ambitions to start a distillery but, lo and behold, no one to operate the pot stills just delivered from Scotland. “I got a crash course and started running those stills,” Castle says. “I don’t think I stopped smiling the whole time, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”

After graduation, she landed at industry giant Wild Turkey as a production supervisor and thought she’d stay there forever. “Then one day I got a random message on LinkedIn asking if I knew anyone who might be interested in going to Memphis to start a distillery,” she says. “Two months later I moved to Memphis.”

Given free rein by the Canale cousins to design a production space exactly as she saw fit, Castle got busy blending bourbons obtained from other distillers into the first bottles to bear the Old Dominick label in a century. Meanwhile, all involved had to wait for the first juice actually distilled on site to mature. And wait…and wait.

“I told the owners I wouldn’t touch a barrel before it turned four years old,” says Castle, who ended up blending five- and six-year-old barrels for the initial release of Tennessee Straight Whiskey. “The biggest question was how the Memphis climate would affect the process—there’s crazy heat here compared to Kentucky. In the end, the long wait was well worth it.”

PHOTO: JOSEPH NOTHER

Contrary to popular belief, there exists no law, Kentucky or otherwise, that would prevent this whiskey from being called bourbon if Old Dominick so desired. Tennessee law, on the other hand, dictates that anything labeled Tennessee Whiskey must be filtered through charcoal (aka the Lincoln County Process). Fortunately for Castle’s preferences, that law has plenty of bend.

“Each distillery can interpret the fine points of the filtering process,” she says. “Some big Tennessee distilleries filter for like an entire day, while I’m at the opposite extreme of filtering through a tiny canister of charcoal for ten or fifteen seconds.”

The result of Castle’s craft, and nature’s nudge, imparts the corn sweetness and charred-oak smoke of classic Tennessee whiskeys, with notes of caramel, vanilla, and cinnamon candy. “Just as interesting,” Castle says, “we’re going into barrels at 110 proof and coming out at 120 proof. In getting rid of so much water, we’re getting a dense whiskey with lots of body, even when we proof down to 85.”

At the moment, Old Dominick Tennessee Straight Whiskey is sold only in Memphis, but by spring the rest of the state, plus Arkansas and Missouri, will get a taste of Castle’s history-making efforts. “I honestly had no idea when I took this job that I would be able to say I’m Tennessee’s first female master distiller, and it’s still something that’s catching me off guard when mentioned,” she says. “I’m just honored to be a master distiller and that I get to call Tennessee my home.”

Meet The Memphis Distiller Bringing Whiskey To West Tennessee

Alex Castle is the first female master distiller in Tennessee since Prohibition.

By Caroline Eubanks

Memphis is known for its music and barbecue, but certainly not whiskey. But Alex Castle, master distiller of Old Dominick, seeks to change that. She’s making a name for the city and herself as the first female master distiller in Tennessee after Prohibition. But it wasn’t the spirit that first attracted her to the industry.

“In high school, I decided to study chemical engineering, because I’d fallen in love with chemistry, physics and higher level math. My mom said, ‘Oh you can study chemical engineering.’ I said, ‘That’s wonderful, what do you do with it?’ She said, ‘You can make beer and be a brewmaster, or you can make bourbon and be a master distiller,’” recalls Castle.

She attended the University of Kentucky and got an internship with a company in Lexington called Alltech.

“Their main business was animal nutrition supplements, but the reason I selected them was because at the time they had a small brewery.”

The company later started a distillery as well and Castle got her first taste of the industry. One day, her boss asked if she wanted to observe a distillation but when he had to leave for an appointment, gave her a quick run-down before passing the reins.

“That was the first time I ever ran stills and that was the day I decided that I didn’t want to be in beer, I wanted to be in whiskey. I ended up running the system, and filling the first hundred barrels or so of what would become Pearse Lyons Reserve Whiskey, then evolved into Town Branch.”

After graduating from university, Castle nabbed a job at Wild Turkey, overseeing production, including grains receiving and mashing distillation. “I was responsible for 24 hour a day, six day a week operation. I was there for four years, and absolutely loved it.”

She might have stayed there if it hadn’t been for a LinkedIn message from a company in Memphis, becoming Old Dominick’s first hire. D. Canale & Company, the distillery’s parent company, was first opened in 1866 by an Italian immigrant grocer. Distilling ended during Prohibition but the company founder’s ancestors discovered a bottle of the chief product, the Dominick Toddy, in 2013 and sought to recreate it, reopening the distillery in the process.

Old Dominick Exterior


“The distillery was their way of getting back to Memphis, getting that footprint and having something that people could actually see in Memphis where everything started for them so long ago.”

Castle got to be a part of the process from the ground up, from installing the Vendome stills to choosing light fixtures and tile. “It was very cool to get to be a part of that, because now when I walk through the building it feels very much like my distillery, even though it’s not.”

In terms of deciding what types of products the distillery would craft, Castle was open to possibilities.

Old Dominick


“It was an exciting challenge because Memphis doesn’t really have the [distilling] history, which meant that I had a blank slate,” she says. “There were no traditions that you had to follow and honor with distilling history in Memphis, because it is nonexistent. From a creative standpoint, it let me do whatever I wanted to do.”

She’s been at Old Dominick for seven years and in 2015 became the head distiller, the first in the state of Tennessee. She now holds the title of master distiller, further paving the way for women in the industry.

“Our [spirits] industry in Tennessee didn’t really start until 2009, 2010. Prior to that, we were only allowed to have three distilleries.”

Castle is now working on new products for the distillery. “We just released our Tennessee whiskey as our first estate produced whiskey and the first whiskey to be distilled, aged, and bottled in Memphis since prohibition.”

So what does Castle drink in her time off? “I actually am typically a wine drinker, but when it comes to spirits, I love cocktails, I’m just a big fan of the classics. An old fashioned is usually my go-to.”

Old Dominick in the News: December 2022

Old Dominick Distillery Announces Release of Straight Tennessee Whiskey
Old Dominick Distillery Master Distiller Alex Castle is proud to announce the historic launch of Straight Tennessee Whiskey, the first distilled, barreled, matured, and bottled whiskey in Memphis since Prohibition. The November 1st release is the first in a series of new offerings, including an 85-proof and Bottled-In-Bond rendition. Additionally, as the first woman Master Distiller in Tennessee, the release marks a career first for Castle in the aged whiskey category.

Old Dominick to Drop First Memphis-Produced Whiskey Since Prohibition
Old Dominick Distillery announce the historic launch of its Straight Tennessee Whiskey, the first distilled, barreled, matured, and bottled whiskey in Memphis since Prohibition.

Old Dominick Distillery Releasing its First Ever Straight Tennessee Whiskey & a Bottled-in-Bond Tennessee Whiskey
Old Dominick Distiller in Memphis, Tennessee was originally established in 1866 by Domenico Canale. Like most distilleries of the time, it did not survive Prohibition. That all changed in May of 2017 when fifth-generation descendants Chris and Alex Canale revitalized the family spirits business when they opened Old Dominick in downtown Memphis.

Old Dominick Announces Release of Straight Tennessee Whiskey
Old Dominick Distillery master distiller Alex Castle is proud to announce the  historic launch of Straight Tennessee Whiskey. The Memphis, Tennessee-based distillery says it is the first distilled, barreled, matured, and bottled whiskey in Memphis since Prohibition. The Nov. 1 release is the first in a series of new  offerings, including an 85-proof and Bottled-In-Bond rendition. Additionally, as the first woman master distiller in Tennessee, the release marks a career first for Castle in the aged whiskey category.  

Old Dominick Distillery: 2 New Releases Making Memphis History
When you think of Memphis, you think of BBQ, right? Blues, probably. B.B. King. Beale Street. Maybe a few more titans of music. The other King, the “Blue Suede Shoes” one. Johnny Cash. And you can’t forget the Peabody Hotel and those cute duckies. Now, another exciting chapter is soon to unveil in the old soulful southern river city.

Old Dominick Distillery releases milestone Straight Tennessee Whiskey

by American Whiskey Magazine

The Old Dominick Distillery has unveiled news of a historic launch of a Straight Tennessee Whiskey. Its master distiller Alex Castle announced the whiskey that is the first distilled, barrelled, matured, and bottled whiskey in Memphis since Prohibition.

The November 1st release is the first in a series of new offerings, including an 85 proof and Bottled-in-Bond rendition. Additionally, as the first woman Master Distiller in Tennessee, the release marks a career first for Castle in the aged whiskey category.

Whiskey enthusiasts will have a chance to meet Castle during a special bottle signing at an early, limited release of Straight Tennessee Whiskey on Saturday, October 29, from 12 to 3 pm at the distillery. Attendees can purchase one bottle of each whiskey at the event.

“It’s been 20 years since I first decided I wanted to be a distiller, and this dream has taken me several different directions that I did not anticipate,” said Castle. “As a Kentucky native, I did not think I would ever make a Tennessee Whiskey, and yet, here we are. I am beyond proud to be a part of such a historic release, and I hope that this whiskey is something that Memphis can be proud of.”

This historic milestone has been a dream since Old Dominick opened its doors in 2017. The launch of Straight Tennessee Whiskey brings to fruition co-founders Chris and Alex Canale’s desire to honor the legacy of their Great-Great Grandfather, Domenico Canale, an Italian immigrant who rose from driving his uncle’s fruit wagon to creating a food and spirits wholesale business in 1866.

“This milestone marks a new generation of spirits distilled in Memphis,” said Chris Canale, Jr. “This whiskey is 150 years in the making. We are proud of the product and are confident Domenico would be too.”

Old Dominick in the News: May 2020

Formula Number 10 Gin bottle surrounded by plants

Old Dominick is Raising Spirits in Memphis
As COVID-19 takes a toll on the hospitality industry, Old Dominick is giving back to the Memphis community with our #RaiseSpirits initiative. A portion of of the proceeds from local beverage store sales go to support the Welcome to Memphis COVID-19 fund.

Read more from Storyboard Memphis

Whiskey is in our Blood
Master Distiller Alex Castle spoke with Our American Network about the history of Old Dominick distillery and what makes crafting fine spirits in Memphis so special.

Listen to the interview on Our American Network.

Old Dominick Launches Formula No. 10 Gin
We were proud to launch our Formula No. 10 Gin in March. A carefully-curated blend of eight botanicals, Formula No. 10 has a flavor and a complexity like no other gin on the market.

Read more on Distillery Trail.

24 Hours with Master Distiller Alex Castle
What does a day as a master distiller at a craft-obsessed distillery in Memphis look like? Our own Alex Castle gave The Scout Guide an inside look at what her days entail.

Read more on The Scout Guide.

Warding off the Sunday Scaries
There’s nothing worse than the dread that hits on Sunday night as you realize the weekend is all but over. See how Master Distiller Alex Castle keeps her chin up and embraces a new week.

Read more on M.M.Lafluer.

Step up your Cocktail Order
We all evolve our cocktail tastes as we get a little older. Master Distiller Alex Castle gives some suggestions on how to elevate your go-to cocktail order to the next level.

Read more on The Every Girl.

The Taste: Where to find Old Dominick this week [06.21]

If you’re cruising the streets of downtown Memphis on your Bird this weekend, stop by and see us – the Distillery bar will be open Thursday through Sunday, and we can’t think of a better way to beat the heat than a refreshing Honeybell cocktail. (But hey, don’t count the Toddy out for summer – check out the latest Share A Sip with Alex Castle for some ideas.)

Speaking of the heat: these temps might’ve had you fooled into thinking we were already there, but as of today it’s officially summer. That has us thinking about some of our favorite unsung heroes – teachers – and the Teach901 We Love Teachers campaign. We’re excited to partner with the campaign to give away a special VIP tour to 10 teachers (and their lucky plus ones) this weekend, taking them behind the scenes with Head Distiller Alex Castle.

We’re also excited to offer a year-round discount to teachers through the We Love Teachers campaign, a collection of educator exclusive dining, retail and service discounts across Memphis. Come see us at the Distillery for $5 cocktails and 15% off at the Old Dominick retail store (excluding spirits).

And last but not least – did you see the cover of The Memphis Flyer this week? We’ve been counting down the days until this crew takes over Railgarten. Join us there on June 30 for the Stuntarious Vol. III release party featuring the whole Unapologetic roster and Old Dominick cocktails.

Outside of the 901 area code, the Old Dominick footprint is growing. If you don’t see us in your favorite Spirits shops throughout Tennessee, ask for us by name (and stay tuned here to find out about upcoming activations in your area)!

Rachel’s Salon is Pure Memphis

(Not all team members are featured in the photo)

Who They Are

Located at 10 N. Main Street in the historic Dr. D. T. Porter building, overlooking Court Square Park, Rachel’s Salon & Day Spa is a full-service Aveda Concept Salon and spa offering services for men’s and women’s hair as well as massage, facial, body treatments, nails, makeup, and waxing. Founded by Rachel Hill in 1987, Rachel’s was purchased by Paige and Chris Garland in October of 2014.

Our mission is to create a 5-star experience to every guest, every time.  Offering an environment that allows our guests to relax & enjoy their time with us while maintaining the highest standard of excellence.

In a world that has made a shift from personal interaction to technology, where service has been lost in the marketplace, our business is one that is working to redefine guest experience. Our business is built on the healing power of personal touch and sustained by relationships. Our primary goal is to create a space in the day of each guest that walks through our doors where they can see their personal beauty, enjoy a moment of respite in a too busy world, and to care for them wherever they are in their day. We work to show a different side of the beauty industry, to see a change from superficial to true beauty, which we believe is internal. While it may appear as a luxury industry, we are one of the few professions outside of the medical industry licensed to physically touch clients. The healing power of touch is one that is too often overlooked. We offer each guest the opportunity to be cared for in the way that they need in that moment through ancient Ayurvedic rituals and stress relieving practices, a complimentary part of each guest experience.  Additional points of difference in our service include complimentary Aveda comforting tea ritual, finishing touch makeup application, and aroma sensory journey all with a high touch approach.

Why Downtown and What it Means to Them:

Rachel’s has been a hidden gem in The Core of Downtown Memphis for just over 30 years. Previous ownership built the business on relationships with her clients and current ownership continues that core principal of business. We are in an industry built on people, and sustained by the same. You have to get out of the doors and meet your neighbors if you are going to keep those doors open. Rachel’s has sustained through the peaks and valleys that Downtown Memphis has seen, our Downtown community is thriving once again & we are here to support that. Downtown is a walkable community, it’s a real neighborhood where people live, work, visit from all over the world, and enjoy real community. Investing in a local business is investing in our city, and it means doing something to continue to support the growth and opportunity for future generations. We want Memphis to be somewhere our kids want to come home to after college, the more we put back into the city the more we have to give to those future generations of Memphians.

Initiatives they’re working on to better Memphis:

Our primary goal is to bring our mission to life each day, to continue to be leaders in our industry, in our city, and our local community through service, contribution, & participation. Our commitments to small yet impactful practices such as recycling, making changes to energy efficient lighting options, and working to re-use and upcycle certain materials for marketing and visual displays have become the norm rather than the exception. As we plan for future renovations to our space, preserving the historic integrity of our property will be at the forefront; combining that with improvements we will make to create an eco-friendlier, energy efficient, green, community centered space we hope to create a true place of respite that will continue to be an asset to the Core of Downtown.

Currently our business participates in annual Earth Month efforts, raising funds for the Global Green Grants foundation and the Tennessee Clean Water Network.  We are involved in fundraising efforts for Breast Cancer Awareness for both the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and a local organization, The Pink Wig Project. Our outreach to St. Jude Research Hospital has become a passion, allowing us to connect with hospital staff, patients & their families and offer either our thanks for the work they do, or a place or rest and comfort for the patients and caretakers during a time when they are in need.

We are committed to creating a positive energy both inside our business as well as out into our community and we have created a small way to send that out with our guests by ending each of our services with a “Pass it on” ritual.  This has become one of our favorite ways of sending positive energy out into our community.  We have created small cards, each with a different positive affirmation and a message below the affirmation reading “pass it on…”  Our guest simply reaches into a bucket, selects one of the affirmations as we share the rules.  The “rule” is that they hold on to the message until they cross paths with someone that needs to receive it and they “pass it on.” It’s a simple way of sharing a positive thought with someone, and hoping that they will in turn do the same.

How they define Pure Memphis:

We think maybe Tony Allen said it best, Pure Memphis is simply “All Heart. Grit. Grind.”  We’re not sure there are better words to summarize Pure Memphis. Memphis is genuine & real. We care. We care about our city, about the good, the bad, and about each other. We have grit and determination to keep moving forward for a better future. We have the opportunity to cultivate a culture of caring, that gives us an edge.  Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a LIFE by what we give.” Our business definitely believes this is true.

What Old Dominick means to them:

As a local business, we love the opportunity to partner with another local business who believes in the whole of our city. Old Dominick was, in our eyes, a perfect pairing in our search to offer a little something extra to our guests and enhance their experience. The commitment the family at Old Dominick has for the growth of our city is to be admired and their willingness to partner with even the oddest of pairings shows they are innovative thinkers, something every city needs more of!

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