After our recent exclusive tasting of Original MOONSHINE in New York with Mixologist Shem Blum and friends, the BourbonBlog.com team became a fan of the new Original MOONSHINE, made in Culpeper Virginia and created by Master BQ Chef Adam Perry Lang and Master Distiller Chuck Miller.

As MOONSHINE rolls out in select markets, continue to watch BourbonBlog.com for more updates. And now for some “Shiney,” Happy, and Loving cocktails for your St. Valenshine’s Day…

The Smitten Shine

2 oz. Shine
5 oz. Cherry Herring Liqueur
3 dashes Scrappy’s Chocolate Bitters
5 oz. simple syrup
5 oz. lemon juice
5 oz. egg white
Chocolate for shavings
8 raspberries

In a mixing glass muddle 5 raspberries add all other ingredients and dry shake to emulsify egg white. Add ice and shake vigorously. Double
strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with 3 raspberries and chocolate shavings.

The Cupid Shine

2 oz shine
.75 oz strawberry simple
5 oz. aperol
5 dashes chocolate bitters

Stir all ingredients. Strain into old fashioned glass with one large cube of ice. Garnish with either chocolate covered strawberry or strawberry half
and shaved chocolate.

St. Valenshine

1 oz. moonshine
1/2 oz. lime juice
3 luxardo cherries
2 dashes Fee Brothers cherry bitters
1/2 oz/ simple syrup
2 1/2 oz. brut champagne

Garnish with a luxardo cherry.

One of the most entertaining aspects of the bartending profession is that of the impromptu drink. To take one’s knowledge, creativity and understanding of the
guest’s expectations; create something completely original (on the spot) and serendipitously produce a winning drink…

Well, it gets no better, in my opinion.

Thus is the case with the following cocktail. A follow-up with the recently acquired Revel Stoke Canadian Spiced Whisky, this began as an exercise in ‘first bar to carry it in the city’ to cocktail development session with drinkie comrades. The true name is a combination of the first initials of some regulars at Majid’s- Tammy G, Leah E, and David S. Future plans for a Zombie variation and a Rowan’s Creek cocktail in honor of bluegrass ginger, who was fashionably late for the ‘Revelry.’

It should also be noted that she is also a regular here at BourbonBlog.com- a devotee to all things Kentucky whiskey.

Could it get more apropos? This meeting of the minds?

This particular drink is all spirits- a foray into appropriate proportion and a focus on low, mid and high notes. The Anejo and Islay Scotch provided the low, or back-notes; the Canadian Spiced Whiskey lent the mid, or prevalent notes; and the sumac- with its floral, acidic profile provided the high notes. Bouquet of expressed orange acts as a flavor bridge- tying all of the disparate elements together.

The Tender Loving Drink (TLD)

2 oz. Revel Stoke Canadian Spiced Whisky

½ oz. el Jimador Anejo Tequila

3 drops Lagavulin Islay Scotch

Stir all above ingredients well, strain into:

Cocktail glass, partially rimmed with a 1/1 proportion of ground sumac to granulated sugar.

Express orange zest.

Article and cocktail by BourbonBlog.com Chef/Mixologist Stephen Dennison