Here’s my three favorite cocktails for summer 2021. Each with a “Craft” twist. 

BOURBON SMASH our #1 Requested Cocktail

Ingredients

• 1/2 oz of Simple Syrup
• 5 to 8 Mint Leaves – depending on size of leaves
• 1/4 of a large lemon cut into wedges or 1/2 a small lemon
• 2 oz of Paddle Wheel Bourbon

Directions

First, combine and muddle the simple syrup, mint leaves and lemon in a shaker. Next, add Paddle Wheel and shake with a lot of ice for 12 seconds. Strain into a glass with fresh ice. Garnish with a wedge of lemon & mint. An optional addition is to add some Ginger Ale.

BOURBON SOUR – A craft version everyone will love

Ingredients

• 1/2 oz of FRESH Orange Juice
• 1/2 oz of FRESH Lemon Juice
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 2 oz of Paddle Wheel Bourbon

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a shaker ands shake with a lot of ice for 12 seconds. Next, strain into a glass with fresh ice. Optional addition is to add some zest from lemon and orange.

BOURBON SAZERAC – My Personal Favorite

Ingredients

• 2 oz of Paddle Wheel Bourbon
• 1 tsp. of simple syrup
• 3 Drops of Brain Brew 1862 Bitters – optional
• 4 sprays of Absinthe Bitters*

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake with a lot of ice for 12 seconds. Strain into a glass with fresh ice and enjoy.

ABSINTHE BITTERS (Employees Only Bar recipe*)

Mix together and bottle in small spray bottles:

• 3 cups of Pernod
• 1/2 cup of Green Chartreuse
• 1 teaspoon of Peychaurd’s bitters
• 1 teaspoon of Angostura bitters
• 2 tablespoons of Fee Brothers mint bitters

Enjoy,

Doug

When my wife asked Brian McKenzie, co-founder of Finger Lakes Distilling,“Why did you start the distillery?” His answer was simple, “Because I LOVE whiskey!”

To many his answer doesn’t make sense. There are a lot of things that people like – but that doesn’t cause them to leave a job in banking as Kevin did, put all his time, energy and money into helping change New York State distillery laws (he’s NY farm distillery #2) – and against all odds build his own supply chain, distillery and business. 

As an entrepreneur for 50 years I got what Brian felt. He’s talking about a passion that you just can’t stop thinking about. A belief that you can create something that has never been done before. 

Within “LOVE” is a quest to make the best in the world – something truly amazing. In Brian’s case, he has many great spirits.  However, his Single Malt is quite simply the most amazing “American” version of the Scottish style that I’ve ever tasted. And Brian has more amazing spirits coming with unique grains. 

At Brain Brew our LOVE comes to life three ways: 1) the JOY customers feel when they create their personal bourbon, 2) the PLEASURE consumers feel when they learn how to customize their cocktail and 3) the WOW in our fans eyes when they taste our bourbons and ryes.

To paraphrase the Apple commercial, “Here’s to the crazy ones…the ones who see things differently…… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Cheers,

Doug

A visit to Ketchum, Idaho in Sun Valley, final resting place of writer Ernest Hemingway, sparked conversations at the Brain Brew Beach Bar.   

Papa as he was known – was a larger than life figure – writer – adventurer – drinker and a husband three times over. 

His dedication to the craft of writing – with his precision and never ending improvement – inspires me when writing AND inspires how we craft our WHISKeY at Brain Brew.

We’ve not won the Noble Prize or Pulitzer as Papa Hemingway did. But with Hemingway like dedication to our craft we have created 2 of the 20 top bourbons and ryes with scores of 97, 95  and double gold medals.

Sadly – there is a belief in the distillery world that “product doesn’t matter” – that all products are basically the same. And, that the key to success is marketing.   

My team and I disagree. We are and always will be a PRODUCT FIRST company.   I learned the power of this working for Procter & Gamble. At P&G I was taught that the secret to sustained business success is to make a product that delivers a meaningfully unique WOW and I mean WOW – then use marketing to educate the world about it. 

Some will call us old fashioned – we’re ok with that.   

And we believe Papa Hemingway would agree with us as well.  As he said…

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master…..I rewrote the ending of ‘Farewell to Arms,’ the last page of it, thirty-nine times before I was satisfied.” 

Cheers to Papa and to all who still believe in product and service craftsmanship!

One morning recently as I sipped on a fine cup of our Brain Brew Coffee, I was flipping through music and clicked on the song, BE THE CHANGE, by Lennie Gallant from his album If We Had a Fire.  

Lennie’s lyrics capture my mindset these days…

So what are you waiting for? What are you going to change? What are you going to be?

-Doug

Hemingway’s quote spoke to me today. “Live the FULL LIFE of the mind, exhilarated by  new IDEAS, intoxicated by the ROMANCE of the UNUSUAL.”

I live my life intoxicated by the romance of the unusual. I believe I may well be genetically wired to reject the same old same old.   

That’s why instead of simply creating our bourbon to our taste preferences that we then sell others to like – we have reversed the process. 

Instead of us “selling” we “enable.”

We enable bourbon lovers to create their bourbon – branded and crafted to their tastes. It’s actually not a new idea – it’s an old one. In fact it goes back to the mid 1800s when Bourbon was born.  Back then – there were very few “bourbon brands” – rather you would visit a barrel blender and create your own to your tastes. 

At Brain Brew we are bringing this back.   

There are three options: 1) attend a live blending event , 2) buy a home kit shown in the photo or 3) use our artificial intelligence Bourbon Wizard – answer 13 questions and VOILA! It crafts your custom bourbon. Then, with a few clicks you can have your own bottles!.

No it’s not usual.  It’s not normal.  Rather, it’s the ROMANCE of the UNUSUAL. 

So what are you waiting for? Get up! Get Out! Get Going! On living the FULL LIFE.

Cheers,

Doug

As an author, I’ve found that when I do something worth writing, I end up with a book that is worth reading. 

As we journey together through the rebirth of the season – of Spring – of Easter – of the hope that comes with vaccines – lets focus on doing something worth writing. 

And frankly – in todays world – after you’ve done it, write it.  

Write it in a social media post – write it in a self published book – write it in a word processor – “write it” by recording a video or audio of you explaining what you did.   

Your family, your friends and your co-workers will thank you. 

So what are you waiting for…

Get Up – Get Out – Get Going

P.S. Amazingly – the photo is from of all places, the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore. 

Cheers,

Doug