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I made an Old Fashioned with the Heritage Dual Barrel in orange extract casks and I was thinking the thing that was missing was a big plate of fried fish. Specifically, the fried perch or walleye you would find at a supper club in the middle of Wisconsin that hasn’t remodeled since 1954, for Friday Night Fish Fry. You also eat the fried fish with potato pancakes and apple sauce. Don’t ask, it’s a regional thing. There is no specific reason for this pairing, other than nostalgia for my home state; though a true Sconnie would scoff at the notion of using bourbon instead of brandy. But this here is a whiskey show, so there.

Understanding that Tracie Franklin's spiced tincture would be a most badass edition to a cocktail, I wanted to figure out another application for it. I've used various bitters to add intrigue to ice cream, so that's what I did here.  I added a few drops of this tincture to coconut ice cream, which could also be complemented with a bitter chocolate sauce or fresh, ripe mango.  The heat from the Trinidadian scotch bonnet chilies, Szechuan peppercorns and warm notes from the allspice and cinnamon play with the cold, creamy coconut ice cream in a spectacular way.

  Glengoyne 12

Glaswegians are known to batter and deep fry just about anything, which I greatly admire when it comes to booze snacks. To pair with the Glengoyne 12, I'm doing a riff on a Roll and Fritter, which would normally be a chunk of battered and deep fried potato on a roll. Carb on carb- yes please. My version replaces the white potato with sweet potato, has an apple cardamom chutney and the roll is doused in honey. A funky, fun sweet treat to enhance some of those caramel apple notes in this whiskey!

Tamdhu 15

A crucial detail I was fixated on with the Tamdhu 15 was figuring out a pairing to play up the distinct Spanish sherry oak cask notes. So why not make a tapa? Speyside is known for their lobster and langoustine fisheries, and one of my favorite Spanish snacks is Langostino a La Plancha. It's a simple preparation of grilling the langoustines, and dousing them with a good olive oil, lemon and sea salt. I like to skewer them with padron peppers, which works really well with the crisp fruit notes from the whiskey.

Barrell Craft Spirits - Dovetail

Since the Barrell Dovetail is finished in rum, port and cabernet barrels, I'm pairing it with a variation of the French classic, Duck L’Orange.  The gaminess of duck works exceptionally well with fruit, honey and red wine.  I would certainly use some of the bourbon in the dish, along with oranges, rosewater, honeycomb and red wine vinegar. 

Still Austin

I'd be remiss if I didn't pair the Still Austin Straight Bourbon with barbeque. Some of the best I've had is in Lockhart, about 30 miles south of Austin, and specifically a giant smoked beef rib from the original Black's BBQ. No finer pairing than perfect smoked meat and a straight bourbon.

Teeling Small Batch

I was really inspired by this whiskey highly in part of the final resting in rum casks. So I figured I would use it to make a Cocktail Soaked Cornmeal Cake.  I love the idea of mixing a bit of the whiskey with rum and some fresh citrus to soak the cake and then topping it with fresh whipped cream and tropical fruit. Not a pairing you would expect with an Irish whiskey, but one that I think would pleasantly surprise you.

Hotaling Old Potrero Rye

I first tasted the Old Potrero back in the early aughts at my local pub, which was a haven for craft beer lovers.  The fact that Anchor Brewing had made this spirit was a huge bonus for all us hop heads. Years later and under new ownership, I'm pleased to say that this whiskey still does it for me. My pairing today can't really exist because I simply want to enjoy it with a pint of fresh old-school Anchor Steam and good conversation. However, I think you couldn't go wrong giving props to the city on the bay with a nip of the Old Potrero, a pint of beer, and a steamed Dungeness Crab and Garlicky Drawn Butter.

 Westland Garryana

Obviously I'm pairing this American single malt with Snake River Farms Waygu beef. And specifically a nice marbled tomahawk steak cooked over an open fire in a beautiful setting. I'm also drooling at the thought of cooking some potatoes, fresh rosemary and garlic in beef suet to accompany the steak.

  Frey Straight Rye Whiskey

I am in love with this sustainably farmed, ground-to-glass straight rye whiskey. To pick up on some of the spicy notes in the whiskey, I thought Id pair it with a whole fried Rainbow Trout with a Herbed Chili Ginger Vinaigrette. Since Lake Tahoe is nearby and that region is home to great fishing, it only seems proper to celebrate the local specialties.  The vinaigrette brings a spicy, fresh zing to balance everything out. 

   Words From Weezy:  Botanist Gin 

(made at the Bruichladdich Distillery in Islay)

Gin is high on my list of favorite liquors and the 22 botanicals in the Botanist Gin made it such a unique spirit.  To play up the water mint, wild thyme, and white clover represented in the gin, I am pairing their Bees Knees Cocktail with Seared Scallops and Yuzu Kosho, one of my favorite condiments on planet Earth. It's a fermented seasoning with yuzu peel, chilies and salt, and is absolutely phenomenal on scallops.

   Words From Weezy:    

Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake

Guess what, I'm going out on a limb and suggesting you pair this whiskey with, wait for it... cake! And specifically an Old-Fashioned Butter Cake.  It is a simple bundt cake of very basic ingredients, but a glaze made with A Tale of Cake that is poured onto the cake when it's still warm from the oven, sets an entirely different tone for this granny classic. And of course, double down and enjoy the cake with a nip of the whiskey in your coffee for an ultimate afternoon pick-me-up!

Words from Weezy

Wheel Horse Bourbon 

One of the best winter food offerings in Los Angeles is tamales. I mean, I actually refer to it as TAMAL SEASON. We can get them year-round, of course, but I happily partake in the Mexican and Central American tradition of making and eating them in cooler weather, especially during the holidays. I even think a lovely way to spend Christmas would be enjoying Wheel House Bourbon with a pork-filled, chile verde-topped tamal. You might also leave that combo out for Santa next Christmas Eve...or maybe you already do!
 

Makers' 2020 110

I feel very fortunate to ring in the new year with a taste of this exceptional whiskey.  The pronounced vanilla and caramel notes has me thinking this would be a great whiskey to sip while enjoying a simple dessert of various cheeses like gruyere, camembert and Roquefort with perfectly ripe pears and a homemade pecan sage brittle.

 Clonakilty Single Grain 

I'm pairing this exceptional single grain Irish whiskey with one of my favorite and simplest to prepare fish, skate.  You will see skate listed on menus as a skate wing because the fish has two magnificent wings on either side of a cartilaginous section running down the center of its body. Pan-fried Skate with Brown Butter and a Wild Greens and Strawberry Salad - all local food products to perfectly compliment this whiskey.

Pinhook Tiz Rye Time

Since this whiskey is 95% rye, I immediately wanted to play that up by pairing it with Pumpernickel Tea Sandwiches with Lox, Cream Cheese and Dill, which would also be a perfect snack to enjoy while watching the horses. 

  Cascade Moon Edition 2

To honor the limited editions from George Dickel, that in their accurate words are *as mellow as moonlight*, I felt it only right to make a timeless and traditional New Year's Day dish of black eyed peas, though of course I have to put a twist on it. I'm making Black Eyed Peas with Smoked Ham Hock, Greens, Cornmeal Dumplings and Chile de Arbol Salsa. I can easily imagine eating a big bowl of this on a blanket outside under the moonlight with a fat glass of Cascade Moon to wash it back.

Dickel Single Barrel

I love the flavors of molasses, treacle and sorghum and that was one of the first notes I picked up on this whisky.  So I immediately thought about roasting a small game bird over an open fire, could be quail, squab, cornish hen or duck and glazing with molasses, orange, ginger and bourbon.  Id serve it with a mash of yams, butter and miso and some garlicky mustard greens with a good amount of red wine vinegar.  This would be exceptional with the Dickel Single Barrel on the rocks or as an Old-Fashioned.

Whicked Pickle

I was skeptical of this whiskey and mostly because I was wondering if it would actually taste like what it advertises.  Sometimes *pickle-flavored* products, be it potato chips, nuts, candies, etc., taste of vinegar but often miss the mark on the pickling spices. I'm happy to report that this whiskey really does taste of pickles!  So I decided to use it in my Weezy's World Famous Bloody Mary. My mix includes the usual suspects of tomato juice, horseradish, Worcestershire, lemon, black pepper and a few secret ingredients.  The kicker with this cocktail is that I pickle all the fun garnishes with produce from my garden, such as radishes, carrots, cucumbers, okra and green beans.  And of course, because I am from WI, a Bloody Mary isn't complete without a skewer of cheese and sausage and a beer back!

  Glendoyne 21

The dried fruit, honey and apple notes of Glendoyne 21 has me craving a big wedge of a creamy, slightly stinky blue cheese, potentially swathed in a layer of buttery puff pastry and served with fresh, ripe apples, and the whole lot drizzled with honey and fresh thyme.  This could be dessert, yet this could also be a midday treat after a long walk through the Highlands.