Strawberry Sunrise
There’s a magazine I love called Tasting Panel that focuses on all things liquor related. They do stories on everything from wine and beer to hard liquor and cocktails. It’s a thorough, informative magazine of which I can’t get enough. The people behind the magazine have started hosting “women in whiskey” events once a month which allow women in the liquor and food industry to get together, taste whiskey and generally have a nice afternoon celebrating the industry we all love.
I love tasting events. It’s a fun part of blogging and a way I get to discover new liquors that I’ve never tried before. It was at one of these events that I discovered Auchentoshan single malt scotch whiskey. I’ve never been a scotch fan. Hubs loves scotch but for me the flavors just never really took. If I have to pick a whiskey to drink, I’m usually going with bourbon or rye.
The Auchentoshan changed all that. We tried four different kinds – the 18 year, the 12 year, the American Oak and the 3 Wood. All were good but my favorite was the American Oak. It was smooth and slightly sweet thanks to the vanilla and caramel flavors. It actually tasted a little bit like bourbon. That’s not that big a surprise though, because it’s the first scotch from the Auchentoshan portfolio to be matured exclusively in ex bourbon casks.
I couldn’t believe it, I’d found a scotch that I liked and wouldn’t mind sipping on after dinner in front of a fire. While the scotch was delightful on it’s own, I knew it would be great mixed into a cocktail. So, I decided to venture outside my comfort zone and whip up something.
Since it is fall and I’ve been on a serious ginger kick, I decided to keep with that theme and use ginger syrup and ginger beer in this cocktail. While the American Oak is on the sweeter side, it still has definite woodsy notes which pair nicely with the ginger, and the strawberries add a fruity touch while bringing out the sweetness in the scotch. Those little red berries combined with the ginger make this a delightful drink, spring, summer or fall.
Strawberry Sunrise
Ingredients:
- 3-4 large strawberries, chopped
- 1/2 oz. ginger syrup
- 2 oz. Auchentoshan American Oak scotch
- 4-6 oz. ginger beer
Directions:
- Muddle the strawberries and ginger syrup together in a cocktail shaker. Add the scotch and several ice cubes. Cover and shake until well chilled, about 20 seconds.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Pour the ginger beer on top, give a quick stir, garnish with a strawberry and piece of candied ginger and serve.
