Posts tagged WHISKY
Be ‘Selective’ On What Type Of Gifts You Give This Holiday
There are certain people you meet along the way that leave a positive impact in your life. For me I had the great fortune of meeting Steve Costello earlier this year. I was looking to interview him about his powerful and personal story he told in his book, “My Father Never Took Me to a Baseball Game.”
Since my interview with him, Steve has helped me out in so many ways. The more I got to know him I found out that he is the type of guy that would give you the shirt off his back. For those who don’t know Steve is the Executive Vice 
President at Steiner Sports. He has a job that any die hard sports fan would love to have. He works with premiere athletes and pro sports teams. Steiner Sports is one of the leading producers of authentic hand-signed collectibles.
Steve has aided me in setting up interviews, securing some sweet prizes for my fantasy football league for my company, and giving me a tour of Steiner Sports. He even gave me some business advice and guidance that will look to help my business. Steve takes the time to help each person that comes into his life. As he has said, “It’s nice to be important but more important to be nice.” He is authentic. He is a good friend.
You might say that Steve is “Handmade the Hard Way.” That phrase is the cornerstone of the fine folks at the George Dickel Distillery. As we approach the holiday season George Dickel brings you their very finest whisky with their Barrel Select. This is for the truly discerning whisky drinker. Only 10 barrels are hand-selected by Master Distiller John Lunn for this small-batch handcrafted whisky. Aged between 10 and 12 years. Charcoal mellowing and their unique ageing process form a smooth, premium whisky that stands in a class all by itself. A perfectly balanced, rich and silky taste with hints of vanilla, spice and charcoal.
So when George Dickel asked me to find a friend that deserves a bottle of the George Barrel Select I immediately thought of Steve. This is my way to say thanks to Steve for everything he has helped me with this year. If you have someone like Steve in your life I would suggest giving them a whisky that is second to none.
Barrel Select has a caramel taste with accents of corn right behind the caramel flavor. You also have hits of fennel and mint. Its finish has caramel, vanilla and cinnamon which fade to corn and oak. It is 86 proof (43% ABV) and the mash is 
broken down as 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley. For more info go to George Dickel’s website.
Forget the gifts that you can get in the seasonal aisle at a store. You should “select” something that will leave an impression on someone who has impressed you this year! You can’t go wrong with George Dickel Barrel Select.
Dec 7th
Celebrate World Whisky Day
Saturday, May 17th is a very special day. It is a day to celebrate the spirit of whisky. That Saturday is known as World Whisky Day. Now more than ever with the growing popularity of whisky, this day becomes more relevant each year. Whether it’s enjoying the liquid on the rocks or mixing it in a classic or modern cocktail, fans are continually finding ways to incorporate whisky into their drinks. Plus here is a little fun fact for you! Whisky consumption has risen 5% in the last year.
With that said, we wanted to share some of the best whiskies and cocktails for you to enjoy on the day of whisky appreciation. From Bulleit Rye Manhattans to the Manitoba you will find a great cocktail recipe below. Looking for a great cocktail for the summer, try the No. 1 Cooler.
So to those who will celebrate with us on World Whisky Day we say, “Cheers!” And as always please enjoy responsibly.
Manitoba
1.5 oz. Crown Royal Maple Whisky
.75 oz. Lemon Juice
.5 oz. Simple Syrup
Top with Ginger Beer
Directions: Shake & strain into a highball glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
Bulleit Rye Manhattan
1 oz. Bulleit Rye
.5 oz. Sweet Vermouth
3 dashes of Aromatic Bitters
Directions: Strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a cherry.
No. 1 Cooler
1.5 oz. George Dickel No. 1
.75 oz. Lime Juice
.75 oz. Simple Syrup
3 Slices of Cucumbers
6 Mint leaves
Pinch of Salt
Directions: Stir all ingredients and strain into old fashioned glass over ice. Finish with mint leaves and pinch of salt.
George Dickel Rye
George Dickel Rye is a straight rye small-batch whisky, offering a 95% rye mash whiskey. Perfect for cocktails like the Old Fashioned and Manhattan. 90 proof, Suggested Retail Price $24.99.
May 6th
5 Iconic #ReignOn Moments in Chicago Bulls History
No matter the sport every fan has their own beloved moments that they will always cherish when they think about their favorite team. For me I feel I grew up in the right era as a Chicago Bulls fan. In the 1990’s I was living in a suburb outside of Chicago. As a kid I loved pretending I was like Mike when I was playing hoops with my friends.
Besides having Air Jordan on the team, I also got to watch Scottie Pippen, John Paxon, Horace Grant, B.J. Armstrong, Bill Cartwright, Stacy King, and many more. Once Jordan knew that he needed others to help him get a title, the Bulls were hard to beat. Chicago was able to three-peat not once, but twice. They won Championships from 1991-1993 and also in 1996-1998.
Recently while watching the Bulls take on the Miami Heat I was reminiscing about my favorite moments of the Chicago 
Bulls. To relish that moment even more I was enjoying Crown Royal Extra Rare Whisky. It is the second edition in the series. It is an exquisite blend crafted to include a small reserve of the final batch of whiskies that were saved from the renowned LaSalle Distillery (located on the island of Montreal), opened in 1924 by the Bronfman family. The distillery was closed in 1993, but LaSalle remained a bottling facility until 2003 and to this day still operates as a warehouse for many fine Crown Royal whiskies.
Just like the Bulls in the 1990’s, Crown Royal XR has become legendary. The aroma of this Crown Royal XR has hints of pear with complimentary floral bouquet notes. The honeyed pear maintains upon first taste and is joined by tones of dried apricot and raisins mid palate. The finish is exquisite with an elegant touch of cocoa and brown sugar.
So with that here are my five iconic #ReignOn moments from the Bulls during the 1990’s.
5. Scottie Pippen Posterizes Patrick Ewing. 
When Jordan left the Bulls to pursue a career in baseball, Scottie Pippen took over as the main man in the Windy City. During Game 6, 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals Pippen met up with New York Knicks All-Star Patrick Ewing. In that moment Pippen won that battle over Ewing by slamming home right over the big fella.
Pippen recalls that moment by saying, “It was one of those games where we were playing against the Knicks and we were frustrated and tired of them holding and pulling and doing things of that nature. I think that after that dunk, I sort of overreacted, almost trying to push [Ewing] into the stands,”
He might have overreacted after the dunk, but he sure threw it down at that moment.
4. Completing the Three-peat In Dramatic Fashion.
MJ knows how to close out a game. Even more he knows how to finish out an NBA Finals series. In Game 6 of 1998 Finals the Bulls were trailing the Utah Jazz by one point. Could the Jazz hold on and force a Game 7? The answer was no.
MJ stole the ball from Karl Malone which set up one of those memorable MJ moments. Everyone in the building knew that Jordan would take the final shot. MJ brushes by Byron Russell and pulls up for what is known as “The Shot.” The ball goes in and the Bulls are once again NBA Champions.
3. He can Fly!
In their first appearance in the NBA Finals the Bulls were looking to knock off the Los Angeles L
akers from the top of the NBA mountain. In Game 2 of the 1991 Finals MJ rocked one of the craziest moves. As if to almost make things harder than needed Jordan drove the lane and looked to make an easy dunk.
Then what seemed to be like an eternity MJ was hanging out in the air and decided to change his scoring attack from a dunk to a very difficult left handed lay-up. As he was in the air deciding what to do he passed by teammates and opponents like it was nothing. He moved the ball from his right hand to his left hand, the ball went off of the backboard and went in. It was almost as if Jordan wanted to send a message to Magic Johnson by saying we are now taking over the NBA.
2. John Paxon is Clutch.
The Bulls were always lead by Jordan and Pippen. Some fans do forget that the Bulls has a strong supporting cast. One of those guys was guard John Paxon. In Game 6 of the 1993 NBA Finals the Bulls were down by two points against the Phoenix Suns. As the Bulls brought the ball up the court the Suns looked to double team Michael and eliminate Scottie as scoring threats.
When you double team someone that will always leave a guy wide open. With excellent passing by the team, Horace Grant found an open John Paxon behind the three point line. With ice in his veins Paxon took the role of hero and scored the game winning basket. That Bulls completed their first three-peat by defeating the Suns.
1. MJ is Sick…no I mean Flu-like Sick!
One thing a champion must have is heart. No matter what lies in their path they look to find a way to win. Right before Game 5 in the 1997 NBA Finals reports were coming out that Michael Jordan had flu-like symptoms. Doctors told him that he shouldn’t play. He didn’t listen.
All he did was score 38 points to help the Bulls win that game, in which three of those points was the go ahead three pointer to secure a victory. Now known in NBA lore as “The Flu Game,” that moment will always stick out to me as one of my favorite games in all of Bulls history.
So what are your favorite #ReignOn moments from your favorite NBA team? How does it stack up against mine? I would love to hear your thoughts!
Mar 10th
Crown Royal Let Me #ReignOn for the 2014 NBA All-Star Weekend
If someone asked you to create the perfect sports weekend, what would some of the key ingredients be to make that experience special?
For me, I would say watching the top athletes of that sport compete against each other. You would enjoy great food and even better cocktails. I would add some of my good friends into the mix to enjoy those moments. There would be invites to incredible parties and events that you couldn’t go to on a regular basis. Maybe the chance of meeting legends of that sport in an intimate setting and be able to pick their brain about the game they love. Okay, I think you catch my drift.
I am very fortunate to say that I was able to have experienced just that. I was invited to be part of the Crown Royal #ReignOn campaign for the 2014 NBA All-Star weekend in New Orleans. Let me just say that this has to be one of the best weekends I have experienced in my life.
So with that being said, where do I begin? I guess the old adage is to start from the beginning.
I arrived in New Orleans Friday night with a lot of anticipation. I got to the hotel and made sure I got a good night 
sleep. I wanted to be ready for everything that was going to happen that weekend. I was going to the NBA All-Star game on Sunday to see the cream of the crop play against each other. Crown Royal had created an out of this world itinerary that included hanging out with NBA legend Julius Erving. That’s right Dr. J. Crown Royal set up a meet and greet with Dr. J and a whisky tasting with the living legend.
Crown Royal also scored me and my fellow bloggers NBA “Jam Session” media passes. This let us into some cool places during the NBA All-Star weekend. They took us to some premiere restaurants to get a real taste of the New Orleans cuisine. We even had a whiskey tasting with Master of Whisky, Robert Sickler. He gave us an in-depth education on the new Crown Royal XO, which was outstanding by the way. For those who enjoy a great whisky I suggest picking up the XO.
So as you can see this weekend looked to be one of those perfect sports weekend that I mentioned earlier.
So as I woke up Saturday morning I had an extra spring in my step. I was getting ready to seize the day. I headed off to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to pick up my media credentials for the weekend. Once I picked that up I ventured into center in what the NBA called “Jam Session.” Picture Disney World, but catered for those who love basketball. There were meet and greets with former and current players. You could test out your basketball skills 
with certain games and challenges at the convention center. You could even check out the Eastern and Western Conference All-Stars practice on Saturday morning.
I did watch the All-Stars from the West take to the court to go over some plays for Sunday’s game. That is where I ran into NBA great Darryl Dawkins AKA “Chocolate Thunder.” He is such a down to earth guy and answered all my questions. Thanks Darryl.
After watching the West practice I used my credentials to go to the media section for the Q&A sessions with both conferences. I was able to interview LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Kyrie Irving. That was one of the sickest moments from that weekend. After coming off that high, I went back to engage in some of the 
other activities at the convention center.
I then met up with the Crown Royal team and other bloggers to go meet up with Dr. J that night. (That sentence alone still gets me!) Erving gave some of his thoughts on his work with Crown Royal. He followed that up by talking about his time in the NBA, players he admired growing up, and what he thought of today’s players.
Next he opened the floor for our questions. Just like the kid in school who wants to answer all of the teacher’s questions I raised my hand to ask the good doctor the first question. I wanted to get his take on the evolution of the league.
He answered my question with great insight. He feels that teams need to start looking to be stronger on the defensive side of things. From his answer I could tell he is still a student of the game. He then answered a few other questions. Dr. J is a classy guy to say the least. Our time with Dr. J ended by him giving us 
a gift! Yeah, you read that correctly. He gave us each some Dr. J flex fit hats. Just like my time with James, Wade, and Kyrie, this will be one of my favorite memories from that weekend.
After that I would be very content with calling it night, but that is not how the fine folks at Crown Royal work. They made sure our experience was a true “Reign On” weekend from start to finish. We met for dinner at St. Marie Brasserie. There we had a very scrumptious dinner. At St. Marie Brasserie the master bartender created cocktails with Crown Royal that was influenced by the city of New Orleans. We finished dinner with a tasty dessert and went to the Metropolitan for the Kevin Hart party.
At the Metropolitan we all gathered at the Crown Royal section of the club. We had a great time talking about our time in New Orleans. During the night the guest DJ came up to the booth. It was none other than Biz Markie. This was another amazing part of the weekend. I am a big fan of Biz and he was cool to chat for a bit and even take a picture with me.
On Sunday I checked out the French Quarter for a bit and picked up some things for my wife and my daughters. I even 
tried the world famous beignets from Café du Monde. For those at home wondering, yes they did live up to the hype.
Later that night it was finally here! GAME TIME. The Crown Royal crew and I went to the NBA All-Star game. Who knew a concert would break out right before the game? Pharrell opened up the night by bringing some of his closest friends like Nelly, Diddy, and Busta Rhymes on stage with him. As he was performing the Eastern and Western Conference players came out onto the court.
Once Pharrell was done performing it was time for tip off. The West took an early lead and looked to steal the show as high flyer Blake Griffin from the Los Angeles Clippers kept on attacking the rim with some ridiculous alley-oops. In the end though the Eastern Conference got the victory. Kyrie Irving was named the MVP.
The whirlwind that was the NBA All-Star weekend had come to an end. It was an amazing experience and one that I will never forget. From talking with NBA legends to learning about whisky, Crown Royal produced the ultimate sports fan experience. So to the fantastic people at Diageo, Taylor, and Crown Royal I want to thank you for an unbelievable time.
Crown Royal raised the bar on this promotion. Since they do that for their whisky I guess it is only natural for them to excel in anything they touch! I can truly say that I was able to Reign On for the 2014 NBA All-Star weekend!
For Crown Royal, to Reign On is to win. With that said please enjoy Crown Royal responsibly this NBA season.
Feb 18th
Adam Perry Lang: Cooking with Whisky
Combining his incredible barbecue skills with delicious George Dickel Tennessee whisky, Chef Adam Perry Lang demonstrates how to make a great sauce with George Dickel No. 12.
Jan 27th
George Dickel Whisky Introduces George Dickel No. 1
As we enter 2014 George Dickel Whisky introduces a new spirit to their great beverage line. It is called George Dickel No. 1. It uses their “Foundation Recipe” that has been a staple in some of their whiskies including No. 8, No. 12, and their Barrel Select. This unaged whisky is handcrafted from grains and water from the Cascade Spring. Then it goes through their signature Chill Charcoal Mellowing process that gives the whisky a soft, smooth finish. Some whisky fans think that using the Chill Charcoal Method in the mellowing process makes it perfect for the wintertime.
No. 1 is 91-proof, which is 45.5 % ABV and has a clear appearance. When I took a sniff I found that it had a soft smell and wasn’t overbearing. I also took in hints of raw grain. As for the taste, well it is very smooth with a sweet corn flavor.
Whether you like to enjoy your whisky neat, on the rocks, or mixed into a cocktail, the No.1 could become one of your all-time favorites. When I tried the No. 1 I was extremely pleased with the taste and finish. It just came out on the market and has a suggested retail price of $21.99 for a 750 ml bottle. Below I added some cocktail recipes that work really well with George Dickel No. 1.
Dale DeGroff’s Holiday Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
1.25 oz George Dickel No. 1
1 dash DeGroff’s Pimento Bitters
0.25 oz Dale’s Cherry Liqueur
0.5 oz Simple syrup
2 orange slices
2 cherries
Directions: Muddle a cherry and orange slice with the syrup and liqueur and the dash of bitters in a bar mixing glass. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass. Add the whisky and ice and stir Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.
Mr. Loveless
Ingredients:
1 oz. George Dickel No. 1
1 oz. sweet vermouth
0.2 oz. maraschino liqueur
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Directions: Stir all ingredients and strain into old fashioned glass over ice. Finish with lemon wheel.
Southern Spritz
Ingredients:
1 oz. George Dickel No. 1
0.25 oz. Italian aperitif bitter
0.5 oz. lemon juice
0.5 oz. honey syrup (equal parts honey & hot water)
2 dashes orange bitters
Directions: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into cocktail glass. Top with 3 oz. dry sparkling wine. Garnish with orange twist.
Tennessee Roots
Ingredients:
1.33 oz. George Dickel No. 1
0.33 oz. lemon juice
0.33 oz. simple syrup
0.33 oz. pineapple juice
Directions: Shake all ingredients and strain over ice into old fashioned glass. Top with 1 oz. ginger beer. Garnish with lemon wheel.
Jan 13th
Whisky and Rum Holiday Recipes
It can be stressful when you are making preparations for your Christmas party. You want to make sure your guests enjoy the food and drinks you have prepared. You might think that you should just use your old standby recipes, but this year why not try something new?
Below are some drink and food recipes that will be a huge hit at your party. From cocktails to appetizers to the main dish, your friends and family will have a Christmas dinner to remember.
Dickel Rye Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
1 1/3 oz George Dickel Rye
1 maraschino cherry
¼ oz bitters
1 sugar cube
1 splash water
1 orange twist
1 lemon twist
Directions: In an old-fashioned or rocks glass, muddle sugar, bitters and water. Add ice cubes and George Dickel Rye. Garnish with lemon twist, orange slice and cherry.
Bulleit Perfect Manhattan
Ingredients:
¾ oz Bulleit Rye
¼ oz Dry Vermouth
½ oz Sweet Vermouth
Dash of Stirrings Blood Orange Bitters
Directions: In a shaker, combine Bulleit Rye, Dry Vermouth and Sweet Vermouth. Shake and pour over an ice-filled mixing glass. Add dash of bitters and garnish with a Maraschino cherry.
In a shaker, combine Bulleit Rye, Dry Vermouth and Sweet Vermouth. Shake and pour over an ice-filled mixing glass. Add dash of bitters and garnish with a Maraschino cherry.
Maple Bacon Apple Scallop Stacks
Makes 1 dozen
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
6 strips bacon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
12 dry-packed sea scallops, tough muscles removed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup Crown Royal Maple
2 teaspoons packed dark brown sugar
1 medium tart apple, such as Granny Smith, halved, cored, and cut into 12 thin slices
1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
Directions: In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, turning occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
While the bacon cooks, pat the scallops dry and sprinkle with the salt and cayenne. To the bacon fat in the pan, add the butter and turn the heat to high. When the butter foam subsides, add the scallops in a single layer. Cook, turning once, until nicely browned and just opaque throughout, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Drain any remaining fat from the skillet. Add the Crown Royal Maple and boil, stirring and scraping the browned bits from the pan, until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar until the mixture becomes syrupy and thick, about 1 minute, then turn the heat to low. Break each strip of bacon into half and add to the syrup. Cook, turning, until well coated and caramelized.
On each apple slice, stack a scallop and a piece of bacon. Garnish with red onion slices and serve.
Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Captain Morgan Rum and Cider Glaze
Ingredients:
¼ cup Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
1 lemon, juiced
½ cup apple cider
1 pound pork tenderloins, brined at least 12 hours (recipe to follow)
1 tablespoon peanut oil
3/4 pounds Brussels sprouts, picked, cored and leaved (see note below)
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 apples, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 sprig of rosemary
1 tablespoon Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum apple butter, per serving (recipe to follow)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Directions: Preheat the oven to 450°F degrees. Combine the Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, the lemon juice and the apple cider and reduce to 3/4 its original volume. Set aside. Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat and add 2 teaspoons of peanut oil when the pan is hot. Once the oil is hot, remove the pork from the brine, pat dry and add to the pan, for a total of 3 minutes, rolling the pork to sear all sides every minute or so. Place the pan in the hot oven to cook for four more minutes, or for an internal temperature of 140°F.
Let the pork rest while the vegetables cook. Once the pork hits the oven, toss the sweet potato, apple and Brussels in individual bowls, dressing evenly with olive oil and salt (evenly divided among the three). Place the sweet potatoes on a sheet pan and roast in the preheated oven for ten minutes, and then add the sweet potatoes and apples on top of the sweet potatoes. Roast for five more minutes. When they are done, remove them from the oven and set aside. When the pork tenderloin is done, remove from pan and rest for 5 minutes on a cutting board.
Present by spooning the apple butter on the bottom of a platter and placing the vegetables over the butter, and then slicing the pork and draping it over the vegetables. Warm the glaze base and whisk in the butter to finish. Pour the prepared glaze over the pork tenderloin.
Pork Brine (Makes 2 cups)
1 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon chili flake
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup of ice
Combine all ingredients except the ice in a pot and heat over high heat. Once the liquid reaches a boil, remove from heat and add the ice to chill quickly. Once cold, pour the brine over the pork and place in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 48 hours.
Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum Apple Butter (Makes 9 pint jars)
9 pounds local apples
1 teaspoon ascorbic acid powder
2 ½ cups organic granulated white sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup apple cider (NA)
2 cup Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
Directions: Peel and core the apples and cut them into eighths. After coring and peeling, you will end up with about 2/3s of your starting weight. Place the apple pieces in a large bowl of cold water with the ascorbic acid. When the apples are all peeled, drain them and discard the water and then place the apples in the slow cooker.
Combine apples with sugar and all other ingredients and toss well. Turn your slow cooker on high and cook for one hour and then turn on low and cook for about 8 hours, or until jammy in consistency. You will need to be stirring a lot throughout the process but be a careful, as nothing smarts quite like hot jam. Transfer to jars of your choice, just make sure they are sanitized and in good shape. Fill to 1 inch from top and seal with the lids and bands.
Dec 12th
