Continuing with our recipe series with our friends over at Bulleit Bourbon, we’ve got a few new cocktails to try that’ll really take the edge off those wintery afternoons, snowball fight losses or cold fingers. Ambassador Kyle McHugh helps us shed some layers with a few recommendations.
How did you find Bulleit and what do you do for the company?
I originally found Bulleit while working behind the bar. It’s rare as a bartender that you find a brand that truly offers all the elements that Bulleit does. In the 11 years I spent in sports bars, clubs and fine dining restaurants, Bulleit came to be that universal brand for me. Shortly thereafter I was told about a Bulleit Cocktail competition that was going to take place at a local bar and was being judged by the well-known whiskey industry professional Steve Beal. Eleven bartenders battled it out for the best Bulleit cocktail. Though it was close, I placed second. That being said, I could never have expected that the real prize in that competition would be meeting Mr. Steve Beal, who would take me under his wing and become my mentor from that day forward. Steve opened my eyes to the ever-growing world of whiskey. He constantly pushed and inspired me to learn and discover more. Steve is a huge part in why Bulleit is so coveted by bartenders. His passion and knowledge of whiskey, paired with his persistence to bring people together, is what eventually brought me to jump from behind the bar onto the Diageo Masters of Whisky ambassador team, where Bulleit was one of the 96 different whiskies that we were educated on and immersed in. Three and a half years later, Bulleit announced its new ambassador program that was going to be managed by the one person who embodied Bulleit in my eyes, Bobby Burk. I was offered a position shortly after. I accepted and haven’t looked back since.
And now the recipes…
READING BY THE FIRE
(Bulleit Cold Fashioned )
From the sophistication of an oaky well-aged Bulleit 10-Year-Old Fashioned to the accentuated flavors of cold brew, chocolate, and vanilla, this cocktail pairs everything together in such a perfect way, just like reading a good book by a warm fire.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Bulleit 10-Year Bourbon
- .25 oz Mr. Black Cold Brew Liqueur
- .5 oz cold brew
- 2 dashes of Aztec chocolate bitters
- .5 vanilla bean simple syrup
Stir and serve chilled over a large ice cube. Garnish with three chocolate-covered blueberries.
TO WARM BACK UP THE BONES
(Frontier Luxe Coffee)
This cocktail is sure to warm back up the bones after a day of skiing, snowboarding, or making snow angels, as it combines the bold flavors of Bulleit Rye’s spice and the creamy bitterness of your local hot brew, while subtly rounding it out with the earthiness of local honey and the sweetness of Belgian chocolate.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Bulleit Rye Whiskey
- .5 oz Baileys Chocolate Liqueur
- .25 oz local honey
- 4 oz local hot coffee
Top with vanilla bean whipped cream and dust with fresh cinnamon. Garnish with the cinnamon stick used to dust.