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Riverboat Bourbons

Our Riverboat Collection is primarily a distillery exclusive Bourbon Collection that celebrates Cincinnati’s heritage as the leading source of American Whiskey in the mid 1800s.

The mid 1800s were a golden age of hope, dreams and opportunities in America.  In 1850 Cincinnati was the 6th biggest city in the country and was known as the Queen City.  There were over 100 Barrel Blenders.  About 85% of whiskey came from this area and was shipped around the nation using riverboats. 

Cincinnati had a unique culture – driven by dozens of non-profit organizations who created a built a progressive culture of supporting businesses and the arts. Among their achievements still visible today are the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden (1875) and Music Hall (1878). The city was the primary mid western business hub driven in large part by its Ohio riverboat port.

The Riverboat collection recognizes the working men and women who built the city and worked the riverboats.

Choose Your Preference:

Easy Drinking Bourbon

Rich & Complex Bourbon

Five Wood Rye

Smoked Bourbon

Dexter Bourbon is our flagship Bourbon that celebrates the world famous barrel blender – Edmund Dexter.

Easy Drinking Bourbon

Show Boat Bourbon celebrates fun time on the Ohio River in the 1800s.   It is crafted to be  clean, smooth & easy drinking. 

This is first rested in traditional Oak Barrels, then to make it really easy drinking, it is WoodCraft finished with 100% air dried American Oak, Maple Wood and Cherry Wood. 

Connoisseurs love the results, awarding Show Boat a 92 point rating, Excellent & Highly Recommended at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.  In a blind taste test, consumers gave Show Boat Bourbon a very high rating on:  “Smoothness, being easy to drink and having less bite and burn.”

Tasting Notes:  “It comes out slowly on the nose, but once coerced it brings robust freshly hewn Cherry Wood aromas.  The flavor on the mid palate is of smoked Jerky, Leather, and Umami sweetness.  Notes of Brown Sugar and Caraway linger on the finish.”

Showboat is crafted to be ultra smooth & super easy drinking.  It makes for super clean cocktails.

Available at the
Brain Brew Distillery.

$34.95

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          Winni Tini

  2 oz ShowBoat Bourbon

  3/4 oz Lemon Juice

  1/2 oz Maple Syrup

  Handful of Strawberries & Blueberries

First, muddle the maple syrup, lemon juice and berries. Next, add the whiskey and shake with ice for 12 seconds.

Serve in a coupe glass or in an old fashioned glass with fresh ice.

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         Peace Treaty

  2 oz Show Boat Bourbon

  3/4 oz Maple Syrup

  1 oz Fresh Orange Juice

  1 oz Cranberry Juice

  1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice

  A Splash of 7 Up or Diet 7 Up

Combine ingredients in a tall glass, add ice and stir 20 times. Lastly, add a splash of regular or diet 7 Up.

Serve in an old fashioned glass with fresh ice.

Rich & Complex Bourbon

Paddle Wheel Bourbon celebrates the riverboats that transported Cincinnati’s whiskies and Bourbons to the world.

Paddle Wheel is first rested in traditional oak Barrels – then to make it RICH & COMPLEX it is WoodCraft® finished with five woods: American Oak, European Oak, Maple Wood, Cherry Wood and a tiny amount of Smoked Oak.

Connoisseurs love the results, awarding Paddle Wheel a 92 point rating, Excellent & Highly Recommended at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

Tasting Notes:  “This Bourbon displays aromas of stone Fruit, Green Tea, white Blossoms, and blanched Almonds on the nose. Robust on the palate, notes of Jasmine overlay notes of Caramel, Brown Butter, and Toffee give way to a lingering almost chewy finish.”

Paddle Wheel delivers layers of richness and complexity.  It takes Bourbon cocktails to a new level – providing depth and character to your Old Fashioned, Manhattan, or Sour.  

Available at the
Brain Brew Distillery.

$34.95

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       1862 Old Fashioned

   2 oz Paddle Wheel Bourbon   

   1 tsp simple syrup

   13 Drops of 1862 bitters or

   1 dash of other bitters

Garnish with Lemon Peel.

Stir in glass with large ice cube.

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               Embassy

   2 oz Paddle Wheel Bourbon

   3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice (or Pineapple Juice)

   3/4 oz Honey Water

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and stir.  Then strain ingredients into an old fashioned glass with fresh ice.

To make Honey Water: First, heat equal parts of local wildflower honey and water. Next, chill in refrigerator. You can store for up to 3 weeks.

Five Wood Rye

Deckhand celebrates the working men and women of the Riverboat era and today!  

Deckhand is first rested in traditional Oak Barrels – then to make it BOLD YET SMOOTH – it is WoodCraft® finished with five woods: 200 Year Oak, American Oak, European Oak, Maple Wood, and Cherry Wood.

Connoisseurs love the results, awarding Deckhand a 94 Rating, Excellent & Highly Recommended at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge and a double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Tasting Notes:  “Dried cherry, currant and honey on the nose carry throughout, along with a Cardamon, Black Pepper, Vanilla, Cherry Cola and Honey create a complex finish.”

Deckhand is a luxury take on big bold  Rye whiskey.  It is the perfect choice when you want to really taste the whiskey in an Old Fashioned, Manhattan, or Sour. 

Available exclusively at the
Brain Brew Distillery.

$34.95

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                      Big City

A fresher, brighter version of a Manhattan

   2 oz Deckhand Rye

   1/2 oz dry vermouth (Dolin)

   1/2 oz Grand Marnier

Combine the ingredients in an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube.  Stir and garnish with Cherry.

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        Paper Plane 

A big flavor Cocktail

   3/4 oz of Deckhand Rye

   3/4  oz Aperol

   3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

   3/4 oz Amaro Nonino

Combine all ingredients in a shaker.  Add ice and shake for 12 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass or old fashioned glass with fresh ice.

Smoked Bourbon

The original version of Tall Stacks won 1 of 8 double gold medals at the North American Bourbon Championship.  The next generation was a full tilt smoke bomb, that to this day is featured in our Custom Bourbon Experiences.

This latest generation of our legendary Smoked Bourbon was inspired by a limited edition smoked Bourbon we created for the Arby’s Restaurant chain that sold out in under 2 minutes.

All of our smoked Bourbons were inspired by our love of American Barbecue.  Our goal is to offer the smokey intensity of the Peaty Islay Scotches – BUT with the smoked flavor of classic American BBQ.

Tall Stacks is first rested in traditional Oak Barrels – then it is WoodCraft® finished with American Oak, Maple Wood and Smoked Oak. 

Connoisseurs love the results, awarding Tall Stacks a 92 Rating, Excellent & Highly Recommended at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

Tasting Notes:  “This Bourbon displays aromas of stone fruit, green tea, white blossoms, and blanched almonds on the nose. Robust on the palate, notes of jasmine overlay notes of caramel, brown butter, and toffee give way to a lingering almost chewy finish.”

Tall Stacks is a one-of-a-kind BBQ Smoke Bourbon.  Some will drink it neat or on ice.   If you like smoked foods, cigars or whisky, you will love this.  It delivers a wonderful “smoke” cloud” when enjoyed on ice, with soft drinks, Smoked Manhattans, Old Fashioned, and Tiki drinks like a Painkiller.

Available exclusively at the
Brain Brew Distillery.

$34.95

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                 Smoke Storm

   2 oz Tall Stacks Smoked Bourbon

   1/2 oz of Grand Marnier

   3 Drops of Orange Bitters

   3 oz of Coke or Diet Coke

Combine all ingredients in old fashioned glass and stir gently.  Garnish with Orange Peel.  Enjoy.

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                   Painkiller

   2 oz Tall Stacks Smoked Bourbon

   1 oz coconut cream

   2 oz pineapple juices  

   1 oz orange juice

Combine all ingredients in shaker and shake with ice. Pour in old fashioned glass over fresh ice.  Garnish with Nutmeg.

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             Smoked Margarita

   2 oz Tall Stacks Smoked Bourbon

   1 oz Cointreau

   1 oz Lime Juice

   1/2 oz Simple Syrup

Combine all ingredients in shaker and shake with ice for 12 seconds. Pour over fresh ice and serve in margarita glass with salted rim.