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A New Bar That Only Serves Dark Spirits, Neat

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Copper & Oak, situated on the Lower East Side, boasts a back bar of more than 600 different brown spirits.

But guests will find no cocktails on the menu and mixers are limited to a choice of soda water or ginger ale, all of which are served in a separate glasses if ordered.

“We are not against cocktails, we are just pro-spirits,” Joel Cuellar, “spirits sommelier”, told the New York Daily News. “If someone wants a whisky and ginger ale, I won’t refuse, but I will serve it in separate glasses.” Melita Kiely, The Spirits Business

This is very exciting news. As many of you know, I love my whiskeys neat, so as soon as Copper & Oak opens, I'm going to head down there and have them pour me a stiff drink.

That said, as a ginger lover, I do like that they'll allow a ginger ale mixer. It's still August, and sometimes you need some ice and bubbles in your Bourbon.

I'm not sure when it's officially open yet, but we'll look into it and report back!

Lushing in the Great Outdoors (of the City)

In the summer, whiskey lovers already have to put up with weird looks when we're the only ones drinking Bourbon, neat while everyone else is sipping on refreshing, herb-garnished, clear, sparkling cocktails.

We don't also want to have to deal with drinking our beloved whiskey in a hot, stuff bar when the weather outside is lovely.

For a mostly vertical city, New York actually has a surprising number of fun outdoor spots, whether you just want a quick post-work happy hour drink, or a fancier cocktail during an elegant night out.

One of our favorites blogs for all things food and drinks, Serious Eats, has put together a great guide to drinking outdoors this summer.

For Cocktails with View in Brooklyn, check out the Ides at the Wythe Hotel:

"At night, the Wythe Hotel's sixth-floor bar can get, well, sceney. (Bouncer, rope to wait behind; you can imagine the rest.) But in the earlier hours, when things are a bit lower-key, it's a stunningly beautiful place to have a drink. Even from within the bar itself, picture windows give you a panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline. Head out to the terrace for a walk around, and you'll see across half of Brooklyn, up and down the East River, and more."

[Photograph: Chris Lehault, Serious Eats]

To feel like you're escaping the city, head over to Maison Premiere:

"It's hard to find another word: Maison Premiere's back garden is magical. With elegant greenery and wrought-iron tables, tiny lights twinkling overhead, it's hard to imagine anywhere better. Arrive for an early brunch, and you'll likely snag a seat without too much of a wait."

[Photograph: Rabi Abonour, Serious Eats]

If you have a big group, go to Lavender Lake:

"For many of us, Gowanus is a bit of a trek. But once you experience Lavender Lake, you'll understand that it's worth it. Walk through the spacious venue, past the long, stately bar, and you're met with a double-level patio with enough room for any group. Equally pleasant by day (opens at 4 p.m. weeknights, 2 p.m. weekends) and night. It's a popular spot, but we've never seen it too busy to be enjoyable."

For the rest of the list, head over to Serious Eats! 

Whiskey Ice Cream? Nom.

{All photos by Rebecca Palmer of Lifescapes Photography, Baltimore Post Examiner}

I was perusing world of whiskey-related news when I came across one of the most delicious looking things I've ever seen: Bourbon flavored ice cream.

Pam Desmond, of the Baltimore Post Examiner, was texted a photo of this magical thing by her sister, which of course led her to go looking for it.

She says Steve’s Ice Cream is available at Fresh Market, Whole Foods, and other natural and gourmet food markets, which is definitely going to be my next stop after work. 

To read more about how delicious it is, check out Pam's blog post.

Coming Soon! Photos From One Mile House!

Cheers! 

You're Invited! Women Who Whiskey: Gentlemen Edition

You are cordially invited to this spring's first Women Who Whiskey: Gentlemen Edition! 

When

Monday, June 2, 6-9pm

Where

One Mile House

10 Delancey Street 

Why

To enjoy a whiskey and good company in a delightful bar with an outdoor patio and a great cocktail list! 

Please join your favorite Women Who Whiskey, and a few select gentlemen guests, for a drink! 

Hope to see you there!

Who Wants To Go In On Liters and Liters of Barrel-Aged Cocktails With Me?

{via Bourbon & Banter}

There's nothing I love more than a properly made barrel-aged cocktail. A few bars serve them in the city, but only a couple I've been too - Elsa (a delightful cocktail bar in Alphabet City) and Maysville (Char No. 4's sister restaurant)- really do it right.

Barrel-aged cocktails have all the richness of a freshly mixed cocktail, but a much deeper, more mellow undertone that comes from giving all the ingredients time to hang out and get to know each other.

Bourbon & Banter outlines the process of barrel aging at home, and even provides a great recipe to try:

Barrel Aged Vice Presidential Manhattan

• 2 Bottles Jefferson’s Bourbon
• 4 oz. Sweet Vermouth (I used Dolin)
• 1.2 oz. Blood Orange Bitters  (I used Fee Brothers)
• .8 oz. Orange Bitters (I used Peychaud’s)
• 4 oz. Maraschino Liqueur (I used Maraska)

However, this is no small or quick feat. As they say,

"A caveat: when barrel aging cocktails, you are undertaking a real liquor investment and you will need a lot of booze. So make sure you are making a cocktail that you will like to either drink copious amounts of yourself, or you are comfortable dishing out to all of your friends. It is also a time investment, as I recommend allowing your cocktail to age for at least 4-6 weeks. Yes: you must wait a month or more for your drink."

That said, I'd love to try it. Maybe this fall, when it starts to get chilly again. To read more about the process of barrel aging cocktails, check out the rest of the post here.

Anyone want to go in on a few liters of barrel-aged Manhattan with me?

What Does It Mean to Drink Like a Woman?

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"I wonder how men will respond to women’s incursion into the whiskey market. Traditionally we’ve seen male flight. As an activity, occupation, or product is increasingly associated with women, men leave. In a society where women keep infiltrating more and more of men’s domains, this is a bad long-term strategy for maintaining dominance (see, for example, the feminization of education). As I ask in my forthcoming sociology of gender textbook: What will happen when women are sipping from all the bottles?"

Read more here.

Women in Whiskey History

IN PROHIBITION, LADIES RAN THE SHOW

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“Women bootleggers ranged from the pretty faces to the shot callers. They included one-time bootleggers looking to make quick cash and rich women financing ships hauling $100,000 worth of smuggled whiskey. Women were so good that, at one point, agents believed female bootleggers outsold the men five sales to one.”

WHISKEY WAS ONCE THE AMERICAN EPIDURAL

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“Much like aqua vitae was used for treatments from the 1500s to 1700s in Europe, whiskey was the chosen remedy for coughs, runny noses, rashes, chills, fevers, and just about everything else. American pregnant women dosed up on whiskey to ease the pain of childbirth and to relax after labor.”

For more about the secret history of the fairer sex and your favorite drink, check out  6 Ways Women Made Whiskey What It Is, on Esquire. 

Are You Happy?

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