Flight Club: Debating daily sippers, DIY cocktails, Instagram influencers and bottle hunting
Me and my friends decided to give hot takes about whiskey, drinks and what not. Also, someone please send me some WhistlePig Boss Hog VIII.
From identifying new go-to daily drams to finding new brown liquor influencers on the ‘Gram, our BLC crew answers the intriguing questions and shares what bar they’re excited to return to this summer.
Big thanks to Marcus Patton and Jami Leek for participating, be sure to give them a follow.
1. What’s your favorite daily sipper these days?
Marcus Patton: Barrell Bourbon Limited New Years 2021. I decided to pick it up days before the New Year with zero expectations. To be honest, I’d never heard of it but a quick Google search showed it was the 4th or 5th time they did this, so I took a shot. I’ve been enjoying it.
Jami Leek: Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch whisky. Monkey Shoulder is disgustingly GOOD! I couldn’t believe I could enjoy a blended scotch more than any sub-90 proof bourbon. The apricot and apple notes along with a graham cracker finish are beyond pleasing! Monkey shoulder is definitely a bourbon lover’s scotch particularly if you don’t often venture into scotch.
Eddie Maisonet: Lost Republic Straight Bourbon Whiskey. I always try to stay mindful of supporting local distilleries, and this was gifted to me at a housewarming years ago. Now? A new bottle somehow finds a way to keep getting back in the house after I finish one off.
2. What‘s been your go-to homemade cocktail?
Leek: The Improved Whiskey Cocktail (IWC). Originally one of the first true cocktails, coming after the Whiskey Cocktail but before the beloved “Old Fashioned” (which called for more simplicity of the cocktail that we know and drink today). The IWC is a rye-based wintery delight that warms the soul by adding Maraschino Liqueur, dashes of Absinthe with the addition of Peychauds bitters to the original Old Fashioned recipe. I like adding a splash of orange curacao to boost the orange peel garnish. The drink has a feel of an elixir, almost like it’s….dare I say…good for you?
Patton: My homemade cocktail of choice had been the mastery of the bourbon sour I’ve been working on. I believe I finally got it where I wanted it.
Maisonet: I’m a big fan of Difford’s take on an old fashioned. A blend of bourbon AND rye, plus the upgrade on syrup (demerara) and the generous use of bitters makes for a powerhouse cocktail.
3. What bottle have you been hunting that you haven’t been able to acquire?
Maisonet: It’s not that I can’t find it, more so the sticker price. Such is life when WhistlePig continues their Boss Hog releases, as the eight edition — Lapulapu’s Pacific — retails for $600. My wealthy friends seem to love it, but I have to figure out how to sneak an extra car note payment in on the joint bank account without my wife flipping out.
Patton: The bottle I’ve been hunting for and still evades me is Rock Hill Farms. Now, I’ve seen it. TWICE! But I’m stubborn and I won’t pay over retail for it so the prices I saw were about $150 too much at least.
Leek: Living in Georgia and being close to Kentucky should have its benefits, but not always. I have personally been unable to even sniff a bottle of Smoke Wagon or even flirt with a bottle of New Riff, although some have mentioned occasional unicorn sightings here.
4. Who is your favorite Instagram follow for whiskey?
Maisonet: I’m a fan of Deniseea Taylor a.k.a. “Chicken and Champagne”, as she spotlights her cocktail-in-a-bottle creations in New Orleans while talking trash to her dog and having a tremendous time on Instagram.
Patton: I don’t currently have a favorite follow in IG for whiskey. It’s hard when it comes to images to have a go-to. For the most part, it’s just pictures of bottles from account to account. I do give BLC some credit because from time to time you do get to see people being social and having a good time.
Leek: Lynn House a.k.a. “Liquid Lady Lynn” definitely inspires my cocktail game, but also provides updates on one of my favorite distilleries, Heaven Hill. She is Heaven Hill’s National Brand Educator making kick-ass cocktails while using her brand’s product along with others outside of HH.
5. The bar you’ll go to when the pandemic finally chills is…
Leek: The Consulate in Atlanta. The décor alone is enough to keep you coming back, equal parts Moroccan chic and upscale, plus urban culinary comfort in velvet chaise lounges and cozy group seating. The whiskey list is deep, as the beverage director has a direct partnership with Angels Envy, along with inventive craft cocktails that are constantly refreshed. Their reconstructed “modern” Old Fashioned brings peach and mint to the classic cocktail, making it a must-try.
Patton: In my area (Connecticut), we have a bourbon bar called The North House. My wife and I went for our anniversary just after quarantine lightened up a tad, but we said we’d return as soon as we can go with friends and enjoy the atmosphere.
Maisonet: Wolf and Crane in the Little Tokyo neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles. Never too crowded, always a fresh cocktail to try and an absurdly large selection of Japanese whisky…they will always have my business.