Asking me to play favorites with Old Dominick spirits is a little like asking a mother to choose a favorite child. But unlike that situation (or maybe exactly like it?) I do have favorites, it just depends on the day and the season! It’s summertime in Memphis, and nothing cuts through this blistering heat like the Honeybell. It plays so well this time of year and its bright citrus notes can be the shining star of a lot of summery cocktails.
And even though I’m playing favorites with the Honeybell – don’t count out the Toddy to beat the heat, either. The Toddy is great year-round because it’s so versatile: you’ve probably already enjoyed it in hot cider in the winter, but it also does surprisingly well with citrus and fruit flavors in the warmer months.
I recently tried a cocktail that used the Toddy in a twist on the classic Mint Julep. I probably won’t be allowed back in my home state of Kentucky for admitting this, but I’m not typically a Mint Julep fan. Don’t report me! I just need a little something more to balance out the mint. In this cocktail – which featured blackberries, mint leaves and simple syrup – the spicy notes in the Toddy and the berries did just that. It was super refreshing, the perfect summer drink.
And one last thing in the category of my “favorites” – product development. This is something I never really thought I’d get to do, and now it’s a huge part of my job. It’s so much fun to get to be in the lab and toy around with new recipes and ideas. Later this summer, I’ll have more to share with you about some of those experiments – so stay tuned!
Old Dominick Head Distiller Alex Castle shares insights every other week in our “Share A Sip” blog series.
