PH factor:  8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o ¾ ounce Chivas Regal scotch o ¾ ounce Lillet Rouge o 2 ounces freshly squeezed blood orange juice o 3 ounces Lindemans Kriek Lambic Garnish o 2 Tillen Farms Bada Bing cherries Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients except lambic over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Strain into in an oversized martini or large cocktail glass. 3. Add lambic. 4. Garnish with cherries. Remarks: It was a challenge finding cocktails that use lambic as a major ingredient. That being said, we offer over a dozen and each has proven to be fun and refreshingly different. This one is no exception. Enjoy. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Johnnie Walker Black Label scotch o ½ ounce Bénédictine D.O.M. liqueur o 3 ounces Fever-Tree Premium Ginger Beer Garnish o lemon wheel Method: 1. Stir all but soda over ice in a highball glass. 2. Top with ginger beer and stir gently to combine. 3. Garnish with lemon wheel. Remarks: Bénédictine D.O.M. and scotch might well be the tastiest use of ginger beer we’ve found yet. . . .

PH factor:  8.0 Recipe Ingredients:       Cocktail o 2 ounces Heaven's Door Straight Rye whiskey o 4 ounces Fever-Tree Premium Ginger Beer Garnish o lemon wedge Method: 1. Stir over ice in a highball glass. 2. Garnish with lemon wedge. Remarks: We also tried this with a bonded bourbon. Strictly in the name of science. We liked the rye version. . . .

PH factor:   9.5 Recipe Ingredients:       Cocktail o ¼ teaspoon Pernod Absinthe Supérieure o 2 ounces Heaven’s Door Straight Rye whiskey o ¾ ounce Lillet Rouge o 1 dash Angostura bitters Method: 1. Swirl absinthe to coat the inside of a cocktail glass and discard the excess. 2. Stir the remaining cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 3. Serve up in the prepared glass. Remarks: One might ask, “Why only coat the glass with absinthe?" Why? Because that is all it takes to light up your cocktail. . . .

PH factor:  9.5 Recipe Ingredients:       Cocktail o 2 ounces Heaven’s Door Straight Rye whiskey o ¾ ounce Amontillado sherry o ½ ounce agave nectar o 2-3 drops Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters Garnish o Tillen Farms Merry Maraschino cherry Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with cherry. Remarks: We know what you’re going to ask, and the answer is yes. It does taste like an adults only Tootsie Roll. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients:       Cocktail o ¼ ounce Pernod Absinthe Supérieure o 1 ounce Heaven’s Door Straight Rye whiskey o ¼ ounce Fernet~Branca o 2 ½ ounces Lillet Rouge o 1 dash Hella Orange bitters Garnish o orange peel Method: 1. Swirl absinthe to coat the inside of a cocktail glass and discard the excess. 2. Stir remaining cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 3. Serve up in the prepared glass. 4. Express orange peel over the drink and drop it in for garnish. Remarks: Inverting the rye to vermouth ratio makes for a very different Manhattan. One that is tasty on its own and also goes very well with food. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients:       Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Heaven's Door Straight Rye whiskey o ¾ ounce St. Germain liqueur o ½ ounce fresh lemon juice o 1 ounce organic apple juice o champagne Garnish o apple slice Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients except champagne over ice. 2. Serve over ice in a collins glass. 3. Top with champagne. 4. Garnish with thin apple slice. Remarks: When we first tested this we thought it could be better. We substituted Heaven's Door for the original Crown Royal and reduced the lemon. We found it to be much more satisfying. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients:       Cocktail o 1 ounce Remy Martin VSOP cognac o 1 ounce Heaven’s Door Straight Rye whiskey o 1 ounce Lillet Rouge o 1 dash Angostura bitters or to taste Garnish o lemon peel Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with lemon peel. Remarks: A cocktail that dates back to the late 1800’s and is named for the town of Saratoga Springs. Which Sarasota Springs? The one with the horse racing, of course. . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients:       Cocktail     o 1 ½ ounces Heaven’s Door Straight Rye whiskey o ¾ ounce Lillet Rouge o 1 splash of Schladerer Edel-Kirsch liqueur o 1 dash Peychaud’s bitters o 1 dash of Pernod Absinthe Supérieure Garnish o lemon twist Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with lemon twist. Remarks: A cocktail created in the 30’s to commemorate the sinking of the battleship Maine. That event led to the beginning of the Spanish American War and the slogan: “REMEMBER the MAINE, to HELL with SPAIN” . . .

PH factor:  8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o ¼ ounce Pernod Absinthe Supérieure o 2 ½ ounces Heaven’s Door Straight Rye whiskey o ¼ ounce green Chartreuse o 1 dash Hella Citrus bitters or to taste Garnish         o lemon twist Method: 1. Swirl absinthe in a cocktail glass and discard the excess. 2. Stir cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 3. Serve up in the prepared glass. 4. Garnish with a lemon twist. Remarks: This is a Sazerac of a different color. It also has a very different taste. But be forewarned it is as strong as the original. . . .

PH factor:  10 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Heaven’s Door Straight Rye whiskey o ½ ounce Crème de Cassis o ½ ounce Pimm’s No.1 Cup o 1 dash Angostura bitters or to taste Method: 1. Shake over ice. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. Remarks: We thoroughly enjoyed this cocktail. We think the Heaven’s Door seals the deal. Besides, if the French Riviera is your idea of heaven, what could be more appropriate? . . .

PH factor:  9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o ¼ ounce Pernod Absinthe Supérieure o 2 ounces Crown Royal o 1 ounce Lillet Rouge o 1 teaspoon Schladerer Edel-Kirsch liqueur Method: 1. Swirl absinthe to coat the inside of a cocktail glass and discard excess. 2. Stir remaining cocktail ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. 3. Serve up in the prepared glass. Remarks: This is similar to the Remember the Maine cocktail. Notably the bitters have been omitted. We assume McKinley remembered the Maine but didn't want to be bitter about it. . . .