Distiller Notes
In April 2013, Trey sat next to the Editor in Chief of Esquire magazine, David Granger, at a book launch for his chef’s collaboration partner, Edward Lee. One of the products Trey brought with him that night was a barrel-aged Manhattan cocktail made with Jefferson’s. David liked it so much that they spent the next two and half years developing different recipes to create one together. They nailed it down to three recipes, aged them in 53 gallon barrels and finally selected the one that they thought was the ultimate Manhattan.
It is 125 proof bourbon that had been fully matured in Kentucky, cut to 82 proof, with equal parts sweet and dry vermouth and a little bit of barrel aged, spiced Black Cherry Bitters added. It is then placed in a used bourbon barrel for four months. Barrel aging the cocktail adds a whole other level of flavors to the Manhattan. All you have to do is open, pour, chill and serve.
What Whiskey will not cure, there is no cure for.
Coming in a multitude of styles depending on its origin, Whisk(e)y’s flavors range across the board from the sweet, caramel and vanilla-dominated American Bourbons to the briny, peat-heavy Islay Single Malts from Scotland. Though production methods differ widely, all Whiskeys are made by distilling beer made from some type of grain, such as barley, corn, wheat or rye. After the distillation process is complete, the new, clear spirit is transferred to wooden casks where it matures, a process that can take up to thirty years or more.