What to Serve When the Weather Hasn’t Changed Yet

We’ve been on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail a number of times at this point. Woodford’s Bellini is still one of the best recipes we gleaned from our last trip! A key thing I learned the first time we visited the Bluegrass State was the difference between bourbon, whiskey, and rye whiskey.

Rye whiskey is more…well, it has a bit of a bite. That doesn’t mean you can’t drink it on its own. It’s delicious that way. My favorite way to serve it though is in something sweet – like an Old-Fashioned.

It’s the perfect addition to that classic drink because the bitterness of the rye whiskey cuts right through the sweetness of the sugar and cherries. It’s a marriage made in – well, some say the Waldorf in New York City and others say Louisville, Kentucky. We’ll leave that up to others to argue about. BUT, for now, I’m going to share a fabulous use of rye whiskey in a drink when you’re ready for fall, but the weather just hasn’t caught up yet.

Side note: if you’re looking for a fabulous garnish for your Old-Fashioned or Manhattan, try making your own bourbon cherries.

First off, a huge thank you to The Baddish Group for sending me a sample of Clyde May’s Straight Rye Whiskey. I, for one, hadn’t heard of the brand until a few weeks ago. The taste is fabulous, and I love that Clyde began his whiskey career as a sought-after moonshiner in Alabama (which, yes, did send him to jail in the 70’s).

As his story goes, Clyde May’s whiskey has been distilled since 1946 and legal since 2001. It was also the first state spirit in the country – in, you guessed it, Alabama.

Needless to say, I knew this was going to be the perfect spirit for our cider – which ended up being the happiest companion to the fall grazing board I served when I invited a few girlfriends over the other weekend. We served our spiced and chilled apple cider in Mason jars with gold paper straws because it just seemed appropriate.

Here’s how the recipe goes…

Spiced and Chilled Apple Cider

Ingredients:

½ gallon of your favorite apple cider

Clyde May’s Straight Rye Whiskey

Cinnamon sticks (one for each guest)

Red apples, thinly sliced to garnish (a few slices for each guest; using a Mandoline here makes it much easier)

I eyeballed these spices and highly encourage you guys to as well. Besides, you could use an excuse to taste it, right?

½ tbsp ground cloves

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

¾ tbsp ground nutmeg

½ tbsp ground ginger

Directions:

Pour your apple cider into a pitcher or punch bowl. Mix in your spices. Taste and adjust as needed.

Let your guests add in a shot or two of the rye whiskey and mix with a spoon or a cinnamon stick. I should note that this drink is a great one to serve if you have some guests who are taking the month off of drinking or who are expecting.

Garnish with one stick of cinnamon and a few apples slices. Cheers!

Thanks to The Baddish Group for gifting me a bottle of Clyde May’s Rye Whiskey to try. It’s thanks to our fabulous sponsors that Magnolia Stripes is able to keep creating fabulous and fun content for you entertaining and home enthusiasts out there!