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Winner of ‘The Nightcap’ Cocktail Contest
To promote Ricochet’s new Callin show, The Nightcap, we held a competition for the best nightcap cocktail recipe. And the winner is… But first, here’s the entry:
The Spicy Whisky Sour
This is a version of the Whisky Sour I like that has a nice spice and sour to it. It is also strong, so sip it!
- 2 Shots Copper Pony Rye Whisky or Jack Daniels Rye Whisky – This can be any rye as long as it has some spice. You don’t want it too smooth.
- 1 Shot of Lemon Juice
- 1 Shot of Simple Syrup
Put all liquid into a shaker with ice and shake until well mixed.
Strain over fresh ice into a large old fashion glass
Garnish with two maraschino cherries and a splash of maraschino cherry juice.Sip slowly and enjoy the sunset!
I admit I’m biased in this choice since I’m a sucker for a good Whisky Sour. Congratulations to Ricochet member @BryanGStephens for submitting the winner Nightcap cocktail! One set of handcrafted cocktail glasses with The Nightcap logo coming your way.
You can listen to The Nightcap tonight using the Callin app at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
Also, since 4 p.m. is a bit early to tip the glass on the West Coast, beginning Monday, March 21, the show will air live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, every day Monday through Thursday. Chat with you then.
Published in General
I am flattered to be picked and I am humbled by your and Peter’s kind words on that announcement.
Sip slowly!
Great. I always remember around 7:30. Now I’ll start remembering around 8:30.
What, no egg whites? No bitters?
So. how much sampling took place before picking a winner? The things you do for your job . . .
Bleh. No. Upsets the balance
Congratulations, Bryan! It sounds well deserved.
But I have to admit that the South confuses me. It’s the home of the best spirits, and the strongest teetotalers.
Opposites attract.
Lots of us Catholics in the South, nowadays. (:
Congrats!
Oh, very nice. Thank you.
Reminiscent of a “Maker’s,” but more chippy because of the rye. (I was introduced to the Maker’s one snowy and freezing cold night in New York, in 2011, in a restaurant off Times Square. My stepdaughter and my granddaughter (who was not quite three) had made the trek for the Radio City Hall Christmas show, and we had a fabulous time. Went skating in Rockefeller plaza, Peachy danced on the “Big” piano in FAO Schwarz, we saw the Met Christmas tree displays, and we stayed at (in NY dollars) a rather shabby and quite reasonable hotel, very conveniently situated. It had a fine deli on the first floor, and that’s mostly where we picked up the quite-reasonably-priced food and took it back to our room. But one night, shivering, cold, tired, and desperate to warm up, we stopped at a lovely restaurant, and that’s where I had my first Maker’s cocktail.)
I tried Bryan’s winning entry after whipping up a batch of simple syrup, which I’d unaccountably run out of. I hope y’all make your own, but if you don’t, it’s this: equal quantities (I use a cup each) of sugar and water, bring to a slow boil, and boil (slowly) for seven minutes. Other than a strict prohibition on stirring it once the sugar has dissolved into the water (if you do that, you’ll end up with crystals which–if you’re a Rock-n-Rye fan–may be OK, but not for this), nothing could be easier. After the seven minutes of slow boil, cool. Pour into a jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate. It’ll last for a few weeks, and is exponentially cheaper than the simple syrup you buy in the stores.
So. I tried my first “Spicy Whiskey Sour,” just to see how it was. It was lovely. But, being a bit mistrustful, even of myself, I thought I’d better have another, just to make sure I wasn’t lying to myself. Happy to report that the second one lived up to the first. Also, because the rye I have on hand (I always have rye on hand) is rather undistinguished and pedestrian, I decided to stir the second one with a cinnamon stick, and leave it in the glass. That added a bit of zip and was nice, too.
Looking forward to trying this with my favorite rye, which is locally produced from local ingredients, at one of the distilleries that’s sprung up here over the past decade and which is (pace all else that’s been said heretofore) right at the historical nexus and center of rye whiskey production in these United States.
Western. Pennsylvania.
There’s an increasingly popular Whiskey Rebellion Festival just down the road (about eight miles) from me in Washington PA each year. Not sure I can manage the organization in 2022 (“too many notes,” as Emperor Joseph II was fond of saying in the movie Amadeus), but perhaps we should consider a PA/WV/OH–and a few surrounding states, and anyone else who’s interested–meetup in 2023? The Whiskey Rebellion Festival happens the second weekend of July each year.
Thanks again. Great contest. Well-deserved winner. Hmm. Perhaps I should experiment again, just to make sure….LOL.