When asked at a dinner party what flavor whiskey he would create if given a chance, Chima Burey, co-founder of Duke & Dame, responded with a whiskey that tastes like Sugar Daddy candy or Werther’s Original caramels.
Whiskey mixed with a hint of salted caramel—what could go wrong? Absolutely nothing. Caramel is a familiar note in many whiskeys, so the mix is a match made in heaven, or in this case, barrels.
The founders of Duke & Dame, Amani Macaulay and Chima Burey, have created a smooth spirit that blends whiskeys (including bourbon and corn whiskies) with 100% natural salted caramel flavor. You won’t find a chemical-type caramel flavoring in Duke & Dame. Imagine biting into a salted caramel and then taking a sip of whiskey. The combo is perfection, and Duke & Dame nailed it.
Here are the notes you’ll enjoy in Duke & Dame Salted Caramel Whiskey:
Nose: Butterscotch, vanilla, caramel
Palate: Caramel, oak, toffee
Finish: buttery, sweet, a long, satisfying finish
Duke & Dame Salted Caramel Whiskey is an excellent choice if you are looking for a sipping whiskey. It’s lovely served neat or over ice. It’s also a great sipper if you’re new to whiskey or do not enjoy the heat of peppery ryes and other high-proof whiskeys. At only 70 proof, Duke & Dame packs in plenty of flavor without the burn.
After enjoying some slow sipping of our Duke & Dame Salted Caramel Whiskey, we decided to put it to the “Old-Fashioned” test. The distillery offers its own Old Fashioned recipe; however, we used our classic recipe with the Duke & Dame whiskey. The result: we have a winner. I LOVED it. I do recommend leaving out the simple syrup in the recipe. The whiskey is sweet enough.
As mentioned, caramel and whiskey pair fabulously together, each complementing the other. Unsurprisingly, salted caramel whiskey makes a beautiful Old Fashioned (I do recommend leaving out the simple syrup in the recipe. The whiskey is sweet enough). Duke & Dame has some other magical cocktail recipes you can try at home. How about a little Caramel Pumpkin Pie, or Caramel Apple Sangria? I know…it’s distracting.
As bourbon collectors, I can’t help but wonder if we will ever get tired of it or if, eventually, nothing new and unique will come along. Labels like Duke & Dame remind us that there will always be a new whiskey adventure to look forward to. As long as creative and passionate people like Amani Macaulay and Chima Burey are willing to turn dreams into reality, whiskey will never get boring, and we will never have too many bottles. Check out Duke & Dame, where you can purchase a bottle and stock up on holiday gifts.
We keep a well-stocked bar that includes way too much bourbon and various other things. However, I never considered the unique simple syrups we could use to make fantastic cocktails. I regularly make simple syrup to have on hand for the classic old-fashioned, but that’s about it.
That has changed since tasting pink House Alchemy’s simple syrups. Truthfully, if you don’t need a variety of simple syrups at home, you’ll want the bottles to sit on a shelf as decor…they’re made of glass and are beautiful. The company also makes garnishes, cocktail kits, and bitters.
I received a lavender simple syrup, and hibiscus rose syrup to test out. I was leery initially since I sometimes don’t enjoy floral flavors, but my mind quickly swayed. There is nothing floral-like about the Gimme Some Sugarcocktail:
1.5 oz gin or vodka
.5 oz fresh lemon juice
.5 oz pH Hibiscus Rose syrup
Sparkling rosé
Method:
Rim a coupe glass or champagne flute with pH hibiscus lavender sugar.
Stir ingredients on ice in a mixing glass, then strain into the prepared glass.
Top with sparking rosé and garnish with a pineapple flower.
I absolutely love this drink and pink House Alchemy’s Hibiscus Rose Syrup. It is a refreshingly light cocktail with just enough bite and sweetness, and the presentation is gorgeous. I was sent dehydrated pineapple flowers for garnishing; however, I think the dehydrated lemon slices, which pH sells on their site, would work well too.
Here are a few more lovely cocktail recipes from pink House Alchemy:
2 oz gin 1 oz pH Lavender syrup 1 oz fresh lemon juice Shake with ice and strain into a champagne flute. Float with champagne (pour a little champagne on top and don’t mix it in). Garnish with a thick lemon twist.
pink House has many fabulous recipe ideas, including cocktails, mocktails, and more. Their list of syrups is extensive, and the quality is top-notch. All the flavors are created by a team of alchemists working together in a 100-year-old pink house. How charming is that?
Chocolates are great, but I’ll take a fine bourbon instead. Are you over the heart-shaped box of chocolates? Do you want to impress your one and only on Valentine’s Day? Follow along as we look at 6 excellent spirits to wrap up for Valentine’s Day and how to use them in delicious cocktails that look as good as they taste…just like your sweetheart.
Minke Irish Gin hails from the Clonakilty Distillery in beautiful Ireland. I recently enjoyed a taste of it and was impressed. Some gins are too herbal for me; however, Minke is one of the smoothest gins on the market, with a juniper-forward palate balanced beautifully with citrus. I would dare say this gin is “creamy,” which, in my opinion, isn’t a word I have ever used to express my feelings about a gin. Try this yummy recipe to impress him or her on Valentine’s Day:
Minke Raspberry Martini
Stirred, not shaken. Sweet and refreshing raspberries complement the smooth, velvety texture and citrusy aromas of Minke Gin.
Stir the gin, dry vermouth, raspberry syrup, and ice together in a shaker or mixing glass. Double strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with raspberries. Purchase Minke Gin here.
Let’s be clear that this is Angel’s Envy Rye, not the bourbon. Both are fantastic, but I prefer the rye, especially for an old fashioned. On a side note for the men, Angel’s Envy was the first whiskey I ever tried neat. I think both the bourbon and the rye are great go-to’s if your love has never tried whiskey and assumes she won’t like it. The smoothness of Angel’s surprised me, and I have been obsessed with whiskey ever since. Fair warning, though, when Angel’s Envy is your first time, nothing else ever compares.
With the added sugar and bitters in an old-fashioned, the bite of the rye allows the whiskey not to get lost in the other flavors.
Ingredients: 1.5 ounces Angel’s Envy Rye .5 ounces simple sugar 6 to 7 drops of Angostura bitters 2 Luxardo cherries (yes, they must be Luxardo)
Add the rye, sugar, and bitters to a mixing tin and set aside. Peel a piece of orange rind about an inch wide and rub the rim of the glass with it. Add the peel to the bottom of the glass. Add an ice ball to the glass (or 2 to 3 regular ice cubes).
Add a few ice cubes to the mixing tin and stir. Pour into a glass and garnish with the cherries. Purchase Angel’s Envy Rum here.
Bayou White Rum imparts a fresh, vibrant taste and aroma and has a multi-layered flavor experience. When distilled, it rests for up to 40 days, allowing the crisp, clean flavors to mellow and combine. Thirsty yet? The best part is that Bayou Rum works in many cocktails, and the Bayou Cosmopolitan is one of my faves.
Bayou Cosmopolitan
Ingredients:
2 ounces of Bayou White Rum 1 ounce cranberry juice 1/2 ounce quality orange liqueur 1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
Method:
In a cocktail shaker, add all ingredients. Top with cubed ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add a lime wheel or lime wedge for a tart addition or an orange for a slightly sweeter take. Purchase Bayou Rum here.
This is at our home bar. The photo doesn’t do the gorgeous bottle justice.
Nothing screams Valentine’s Day like the color pink! Inspired by Edinburgh Gin’s original Rhubarb & Ginger Liqueur, Rhubarb & Ginger Gin is a fuller-bodied version of this pioneering flavor combination. Not only that, Rhubarb & Ginger Gin has one of the best lineups of pink cocktails, the perfect companion for Valentine’s Day.
I recently sampled this for the first time, and it will now be a staple in our home bar. The taste is unique, smooth, and refreshing. And guys, listen up…the bottle is lovely, and the shade of pink is so unusual for a spirit, making this a perfect Valentine’s Day gift for her. Plus, you’ll be set to make some yummy cocktails for the evening. It’s a win-win. Purchase Rhubarb and Ginger Edinburgh Gin, here.
Rhubarb Bramble
Ingredients:
1.5 ounces R&G Gin Full Strength .75 ounces fresh lemon .75 ounces sugar Gomme syrup .25 ounces crème de cassis
Method:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the gin, lemon juice, and sugar syrup. Shake until ice cold. Strain into a rock or tumbler glass filled with crushed ice. Drizzle the crème de cassis over the top. Garnish with an orange twist and a blackberry.
Castle & Key Restoration Rye, Dedicated to “Sweetness”
Ladies — it’s your turn. If you have an avid football fan in your life this Valentine’s Day who happens to enjoy whiskey, this is the gift to give…if you can find it. Castle & Key’s Single Barrel Restoration Rye is fantastic, and a small number of bottles were dedicated to The Chicago Bear’s Walter Payton (Sweetness).
It was only released in Illinois. We found it at our favorite BBQ joint in Hinckley, Illinois, where they also sell great bottles of bourbon. Our lunches of BBQ ribs and fried potato salad always result in a new bottle of bourbon.
If you can’t find or purchase the “Sweetness” bottle, Castle & Key makes plenty of other bottles of the rye to go around. You can find the “Sweetness” bottle here and more Restoration Rye here.
Manhattan
You’ve likely enjoyed a Manhattan with bourbon; however, just like the old-fashioned, I think excellent rye works better with the sweet additions that go into the drink. Bourbon has a touch of sweetness and will make a sweeter Manhattan. If that’s what you prefer, then by all means, use bourbon.
Add the rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled —strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry.
Ballotin Chocolate Whiskey
If she’s expecting chocolates, surprise your Valentine with this chocolate instead.
Truthfully, when we first heard the words “chocolate whiskey,” my husband and I thought, what have they done to whiskey?? Then we tasted it. Other flavored whiskeys have come before, but no one did it right. Saloon Spirits in Louisville, Kentucky, however, does. You can read my review of this dessert-like bourbon here.
We enjoy drinking it neat as a dessert. We discovered this gem of a whiskey while binging Downton Abbey a year ago. I won’t tell you how many bottles we went through during that time, but let’s just say that the Granthams and their scandals led us to drink.
If you dig piña coladas, you’ll appreciate this one. Buchanan’s Pineapple puts a new twist on the classic, and truly, it was made for this tropical drink.
Feeling tropical, or even worse, feeling winter? Here’s what you need to do…grab some Buchanan’s Pineapple, mineral water, a little Tajin, and a lime. That’s all you need, though a spray tan and some sunglasses wouldn’t hurt.
Ingredients:
• 1.5 oz Buchanan’s Pineapple
• 4 oz mineral water
Glassware: Highball Glass
Garnish: Tajin rime, Lime Wedge
Instructions: Squeeze a little lime juice onto a plate and then some Tajin seasoning on another plate. Dip the rim of the highball glass in the lime juice and then coat the rim with Tajin. Pour Buchannan’s Pineapple into the glass, over ice, and top with mineral water. Garnish with a lime wedge.
