"If you regard straight spirit sipper superior to a finely crafted cocktail, you’re hardly alone. But consider this: Even the precise palates of the world’s great master distillers are open to a few modifiers every now and then. In fact, many of them proudly label themselves cocktail enthusiasts.
And why shouldn’t they? Proper mixology is about enhancing rather than diminishing the essence of any base spirit. In other words, the more you appreciate a liquor, the more you should appreciate a well-engineered drink built around it. Supporting evidence comes in the form of testimony from the following liquor makers, as they reveal their favorite ways to mix things up.
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| Whiskey Smash |
Quite predictably, spirit-forward cocktail combinations tend to resonate with many a distiller. Paul Hletko, the owner and master distiller at FEW Spirits, is particularly fond of a classic example, involving equal parts American whiskey, Campari and vermouth. “Aside from the flippant ‘my favorite cocktail is the one in front of me,’ I am partial to the joys of a Boulevardier,” he says. “It works before dinner and after dinner. It’s simple, too, so you can make it at home, or any bar ought to be able to make a good one. I’ll give a shout to my local, though: Ward Eight in Evanston, Ill.”
Ivan Saldana of Montelobos mezcal prefers to substitute his own spirit in place of whiskey in his Oaxacan Old Fashioned. “I find this does not lose the complexity of the mezcal,” he says of the variation, “but compliments and brightens it up in a nice, flavorful cocktail.” Helping the lifting here is a brown sugar cube, along with both Angostura and chocolate bitters..." ~ Source
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