We celebrate the 1800’s when American Whiskey, Bourbon and Cocktails became a commercial industry.  Our hometown, Cincinnati, was the commercial birthplace of American whiskey / bourbon.  It was the 6th largest city in the nation and the source of 85% of the whiskey in America. 

Cocktails were “born” in the USA in 1862 with the publication of Professor Jerry Thomas’s book The Bon Vivant’s Companion.

The Dexter 1862 Cocktail Collection is named in honor of Edmund Dexter, one of the most famous of the 100+ Barrel Blenders in Cincinnati. He was so famous that author Charles Dickens and the future King Edward VII visited with him at his house on fourth street. 

What Bourbon to use in your Cocktail?

By design all of our bourbons are crafted to taste great neat, on ice and in cocktails.  Our three “go to” bourbons for cocktails are: 

Paddle Wheel Bourbon: This is our go-to for virtually all of our bourbon cocktails. For that reason we list it in the recipes – however feel free to switch out to one of the others of our bourbons or even your Custom Bourbon. 

Dexter Bourbon – When we are feeling luxurious we use Dexter.  The flavors are bigger, bolder and more complex. 

Tall Stacks Bourbon – Three Wood Smoked Bourbon adds a remarkable “smoke cloud” to cocktails.

1. 1800’s Bourbon Cocktail Collection

The ORIGINAL Old Fashioned: This is the whiskey cocktail from page 2 of Professor Jerry Thomas’s Book. It’s the essence of a perfectly balanced cocktail.  This version is far less sweet then the modern version shown later on this list.

In a rocks glass add…

• 1 1/2 Ounces of Paddle Wheel Bourbon
• 1 teaspoon of Simple Syrup ( a one part sugar and one part water mix)
• 3 drops of our 1862 Bitters (available at Distillery) or use Angostura Bitters.

Gently add ice (a big cube if you have it)

Stir 10 revolutions and enjoy! 

Dickens 1842  Bourbon Smash:  This is an updated version of the recipe Charles Dickens wrote to Washington Irving following his visit with Edmund Dexter.

To a Cocktail Shaker Add: 

• 1/2 oz Orange Juice (packaged OJ is often more reliable than fresh squeezed)
• 1/2 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 oz of Simple Syrup
• 2 oz of Paddle Wheel Bourbon

Add ice and shake for 13 seconds

Strain onto Fresh Ice. Garnish with orange wheel and mint (optional).

Mint Julep: Jerry Thomas 1862 Version. This is a great cocktail when made properly with quality ingredients.

Gently muddle

• 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh mint 
• 1/2 ounce of Simple Syrup ( a one part sugar and one part water mix)

Remove mint

Add shaved ice if you have it (you can smash ice in a bag)

Add 3 ounces of Paddle Wheel Bourbon

Stir to mix

Garnish with fresh sprigs of Mint

Jerry Thomas Options:  garnish with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, pieces of sliced orange, splash of dark rum and a sprinkling of white sugar on top – add a straw and enjoy. 

Stone Fence – Jerry Thomas 1862 Version.  A great classic inspired by the Stone Fences of Vermont. 

In a tall glass add: 

2 oz of Paddle Wheel Bourbon

Fresh Cider

Add ice and enjoy

2. Modern Bourbon Cocktails

Wini-Tini – This cocktail was created to celebrate our introduction into the State of New Hampshire. 

Add into a Shaker

• 1/2 oz maple syrup
• 3/4 oz lemon juice
• Muddle 10 Blue berries and 3 strawberries
• 2 oz Paddle Wheel Bourbon

     Add ice and shake for 13 seconds.  

     Strain into a couple glass and garnish with berries

Paper Plane – 2008 Created by Sam Ross and named after M.I.A’s smash hit “Paper Plane”. It has a crazy amount of flavor complexity. 

      Add to a cocktail shaker…

• 3/4 oz of Paddle Wheel Bourbon
• 3/4 oz Aperol
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 oz Amaro Nonino

Add ice and shake for 13 seconds

Strain into a coupe glass

Big City™ Manhattan: This is our brighter, fresher Manhattan. 

      Add to a cocktail shaker…

• 1/2 oz dry vermouth (Dolin)
• 1/2 oz Grand Marnier
• 2 oz Paddle Wheel Bourbon
• 3 drops of 1862 Bitters or Angostura 

Add ice and shake for 13 seconds

  Strain into a coupe glass, garnish with Maraschino Cherry

Smoked Manhattan

      Add to a cocktail shaker…

• 1/2 oz dry vermouth (Dolin)
• 1/2 oz sweet vermouth
• 2 oz Tall Stacks Smoked Bourbon
• 3 drops of 1862 Bitters or Angostura 

Add ice and shake for 13 seconds

  Strain into a coupe glass, garnish with Maraschino Cherry

Embassy

      Add to a cocktail shaker…

• 2 oz Paddle Wheel Bourbon
• 1/2 oz honey water (50/50 water and honey)
• 1/2 oz lemon juice

     Add ice and shake for 13 seconds.  

  Strain into a chilled couple glass

Ginger Highball – Inspired by the Ginger Grouse cocktail in Scotland

• 1.5 oz Paddle Wheel Bourbon
• 3 oz ginger-ale w/ Squeeze of lime

Threshfield™ – This fantastic cocktail was created by Phillip Kurtz one of our Master Bourbon Makers.

      Add to a cocktail shaker…

• 2 oz of Paddle Wheel Bourbon
• 3/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
• 2 dashes of 1862 bitters

     Add ice and shake for 13 seconds.  

  Strain into a chilled couple glass

Smoke Storm™ – This is the cocktail that created the craze behind Tall Stacks smoked bourbon. 

      To a tall glass add

• 1/2 oz Grand Marnier
• 1 oz of Tall Stacks Smoked Bourbon
• 3 oz Diet Coke

Add ice stir gently and enjoy

Ultimate Sazerac  – This recipe was inspired by Dale Degrees and the wizards at the Employee Only Bar in NYC as details din their book Speakeasy. 

Before you begin –  you need to make the Employees Only Absinthe bitters.  I make it up in volume then put it in a collection of small spray bottles.  I end up giving them away to guests who fall in love with this amazing drink.  Mix together and bottle in spray bottles: 1 1/2 cups of Pernod + 1/4 cup of Green Chartreuse + 1 teaspoon of 1862 Bitters (or a 1/2 teaspoon each of Peychaud and Angostura bitters) + 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) of Fee Brothers Mint bitters

To Make Sazarac Cocktail

• 3 squirts Employees Only absinth bitters spray
• 1 tsp simple syrup
• 2 oz of Paddle Wheel Bourbon

Serve over Large Ice cube

Modern Old Fashioned

Muddle

• slice of orange and or maraschino cherry
• 3 drops of 1862 bitters
• 1/2 ounce of simple syrup

Remove orange / cherry

• Add 2 ounces of Paddle Wheel Bourbon
• Ice (ideally large cube)

Stir 10 times and garnish with orange wheel and or maraschino cherry

Whiskey Smash – A Dale Degroff Classic

Muddle together

• 3 wedges of Lemon 
• 4 Mint leaves
• 1/2 oz simple syrup
• Add 2 oz Paddle Wheel

Shake with LOTS of ice

Ideally serve over Large Ice Cube 

3. Bourbon Beach Party Collection

A very hot trend is the creation of beach drink’s Margarita’s, Tiki’s using bourbon instead of tequila or rum.   Bourbon’s such as Paddle Wheel add complexity – Tall Stacks adds a smoke cloud

Best Margarita – Try this – it will amaze you. 

Add to a shaker

• 2 ounces of Paddle Wheel or Smoked Tall Stacks Bourbon
• 1 oz of Cointreau
• 1 oz of Lime Juice
• 1/2 ounce of Simple syrup

Shake with ice

Strain into Margarita glass with salted rim 

Kon-Tiki™ – This is one of the all time favorite cocktails at our distillery tasting room.  It was created by Lydia Carson of the Eureka! Ranch during one long night of cocktail creating. 

Add to a shaker

• 2.0 oz Paddle Wheel Bourbon
• 2.5 oz half and half
• 1 oz cream of coconut (Coco REAL brand ideally)
• Shake with ice

Strain into coupe or martini glass garnish with shaved dark chocolate

Painkiller

Add to a shaker

• 1 oz Orange Juice
• 1 oz coconut cream
• 2 oz Paddle Wheel Bourbon
• 2 oz pineapple juice

Shake with ice

Strain into coupe or martini glass garnish with sprinkle of nutmeg on top

4. Hall of Fame Cocktails – with Other Spirits

We are a bourbon company.  How ever we do occasionally drink other spirits.  We also make a small amount of Show Boat Vodka – distilled 7 times.   

Classic Martini – After many experiments here’s out take on the classic gin martini

Add Ice and water to a martini glass / coupe to chill the glass

To a mixing glass add

• 2 oz Beefeaters (yes – it’s the standard upon which all other gins are measured)
• 1 capful of Dolin (using the cap to measure is a trick from Harry’s Bar in Venice)
• Stir with ice for 40 revolutions (Sorry Bond we stir for a smoother texture)
• Garnish with a lemon peel and 3 Olives  (always three for luck – not 2 not 4)

Strain into the chilled glass (first dump water & ice 🙂     

James Bond’s Vesper – the original recipe from Fleming’s 1953 novel Casino Royale             

Add Ice and water to a martini glass / coupe to chill the glass

To a shaker add

• 1 1/2 oz gin                     
• 1/2  oz vodka               
• 1 1/2  teaspoons Lillet Blanc 

Add ice and shake for 13 seconds

Strain into the chilled glass (first dump water & ice 🙂     

Garnish with a Thin Slice of lemon

Hemingway Daiquiri – One of the world’s greatest writers inspired one of the greatest cocktails in the world.  

To a shaker add

• 2.0  ounces Brugal White Rum  (This rum from our partner Edrington makes a difference)
• 1/2   ounce simple syrup
• 3/4    ounce fresh lime juice
• 1/2    oz fresh grapefruit juice
• 1/4   ounce  Luxardo (1.5 tsp)

Add ice and shake for 13 seconds

Strain into a chilled coupe glass   

Classic Daiquiri -This classic was invented by American engineer Jennings Cox 1896 in Cuba after the Spanish-American war. 

To a shaker add

• 2.0  ounces Brugal White Rum  (This rum from our partner Edrington makes a difference)
• 1/2 oz simple Syrup
• 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
• Add ice and shake for 13 seconds

Strain into a chilled coupe glass   

French Martini

To a shaker add

• 2 oz Showboat Vodka
• 1 oz Chambord
• 1 oz Pineapple Juice
• Add ice and shake for 13 seconds

Strain into a chilled coupe glass – Optional add a splash of champagne

Sangria – A classic with just the right balance.  

• 1 Bottle of Pinot Noir Red Wine
• 1/2 cup Limoncello
• 1/2 cup Brandy
• 1/2 cup Orange Juice
• 1/2 cup Cointreau
• 1/2 cup Sugar

Refrigerate to chill

Pour into a punch bowl or pitcher with 1 can 7 UP (just before serving)

Garnish with fruit – orange, lemon, apple, grapes, pineapple as desired

Serve over ICE