Experimenting with Wellers

[michang5]

A day of firsts:

1st bourbon and ginger ale combo. Used 1:2 OWA to ginger ale and added splash of Angostura bitters. Tasty. Definitely better than Manhattan I made last week (blech!), but not as good as my Old Fashioneds. I've been drinking lots of bourbon neat lately and wanted give my taste buds a break.

Also mixed first bottle of OWA and Weller 12 (50/50 ratio). Giving it a week before comparing it against the source bourbons. Hoping it will decrease the wood notes in the W12 (one of my favorite everyday pours) just a hair.

[HighInTheMtns]

Try a rye recipe bourbon or even a rye with your ginger ale. The rye/ginger interplay is the best part of that drink. WT101 or Rittenhouse BIB maybe?

Also: same with Manhattans. Use a rye, or if it's a bourbon, definitely not a wheater.

[Restaurant man]

Weller whiskey sours for me. No mixes though. Gotta get the right blend of lemon lime and simple syrup. The Worst I've ever had was delightful :grin:

[michang5]

Thanks for the suggestions. I definitely will reach for my mixing standby Old Grand-Dad 114 next time with the ginger ale. The OWA was used because it was handy after the vatting experiment.

I have found that the rye-heavy/heavier OGD 114 makes an excellent Old Fashioned. My attempt was a Manhattan was with OGD, too. So I'm figuring I just don't like vermouth.

[Wryguy]

I really like LDI ryes mixed with my ginger, and I prefer a ginger brew to a ginger ale, more bite and less sweetness. As far as the Weller, try a Presbyterian: 2 oz Weller, in a high ball filled with ice. Add juice of a 1/2 lemon, soda water to top, stir lightly and enjoy. If you want it sweeter you can add some simple syrup, but the bourbon has plenty of sweetness for this cocktail IMO. If you like your Angostura, you can add two dashes at the end to your Presbyterian and turn it into a Wooden Leg. Hope those are helpful and tasty!

[LiveFromLou]

Last night I made a Winchester Julep, which was mint, 1 part OWA, 2 parts Ale-8 (a soft drink made in Winchester, KY that is similar to ginger ale, but fruitier). I liked it a lot, the higher proof and mint helped to cut some of the sweetness of the Ale-8. A couple cubes of ice helped, too. Definitely a back porch sipping kind of drink.

[brettckeen]

I thin out my W12 with Old Fitz BIB

[JPBoston]

I thin out my W12 with Old Fitz BIB

Hrmm.... that doesn't sound like a bad idea.

[squire]

I have always felt that Bourbon and ginger ale have a natural affinity.

[HighHorse]

I have always felt that Bourbon and ginger ale have a natural affinity.

As do you, Squire. As do you. :grin:

[michang5]

[Copies and pastes different recipes into Notes app]

Thanks for the suggestions. Digging the variations and loving the drink names!

[Smokewagon]

Weller whiskey sours for me. No mixes though. Gotta get the right blend of lemon lime and simple syrup. The Worst I've ever had was delightful :grin:

Whisky sours are one of my favorite summer drinks, and home made sour mix is what makes it perfect. I use a fairly simple recipe, 1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice, 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice , the juce from 1 baseball sized orange, and 1 cup simple syrup made using Turbinado (Suagr in the Raw) or Demerra suagar . The orange along with the Turbinado or Demerra Sugar really makes a difference to me. I like the extra flavors that Demerra and Turbanada sugar adds, I even use them when making an Old Fashioned, or basically anything that requires simple syrup.

~SW

[Quantum]

Also mixed first bottle of OWA and Weller 12 (50/50 ratio). Giving it a week before comparing it against the source bourbons. Hoping it will decrease the wood notes in the W12 (one of my favorite everyday pours) just a hair.

If you want to get really crazy, try adding a little Larceny to the mix. It doesn't take a whole lot to tone down the wood notes, and it will start overpowering the Weller if you add too much.

Also: same with Manhattans. Use a rye, or if it's a bourbon, definitely not a wheater.

I normally use rye for an Old Fashioned, but I like an occasional wheated Manhattan.